THE International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the hockey playing nations commemorates four decades of Champions Trophy 1978-2018 when the Netherlands play host to the 37th and last edition at Breda from June 23 to July 1.
It is, unfortunate, that the FIH had decided to do away with one of the toughest events of the calendar and the coming competition marks the end of a glorious era.
A brainchild of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president, the late retired Air Marshal Nur Khan, it was launched on the grassy field at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium in 1978.
“Nur Khan had floated the idea during the FIH meeting at the Buenos Aires World Cup and donated the trophy,” Abdul Waheed Khan, the 1960 Rome Olympics hero, who also managed the inaugural Champions Trophy gold medal-winning Pakistan team told Dawn.
Pakistan had been able to win the Champions Trophy thrice in 1978, 1980 and 1994, all at home, besides securing seven silver and as many bronze medals.
Keeping in view its immense contribution to the game, the 13th ranked Pakistan have been awarded special entry in the last event by the FIH. The other five nations who will compete for honours includes top-ranked Australia, Olympic champions and second-ranked Argentina, Olympic silver medallists and third-ranked Belgium, hosts and fourth-ranked Holland and sixth-ranked India, the Asian champions.
This correspondent is a witness to the laying of the country’s first astro turf by Dutch experts at the formerly Hockey Club of Pakistan in 1979 to host the second Champions Trophy.
The then FIH president Rene Frank and the secretary Etienne Glichitch, who later succeeded Frank, had specially come to Pakistan to witness the second Champions Trophy.
National Carrier PIA used to be the sponsor whenever the Champions Trophy took place in Pakistan.
Presently, the greenshirts are going through rebuilding process and no miracles are expected from them.
Champions Trophy record — 1978-2016
Year Venue Gold Silver Bronze
1978 Lahore Pakistan Australia Great Britain
1980 Karachi Pakistan Germany Australia
1981 Karachi Netherlands Australia Germany
1982 Amstelveen Netherlands Australia India
1983 Karachi Australia Pakistan Germany
1984 Karachi Australia Pakistan Great Britain
1985 Perth Australia Great Britain Germany
1986 Karachi Germany Australia Pakistan
1987 Amstelveen Germany Netherlands Australia
1988 Lahore Germany Pakistan Australia
1989 Berlin Australia Netherlands Germany
1990 Melbourne Australia Netherlands Germany
1991 Berlin Germany Pakistan Netherlands
1992 Karachi Germany Australia Pakistan
1993 Kuala Lumpur Australia Germany Netherlands
1994 Lahore Pakistan Germany Netherlands
1995 Berlin Germany Australia Pakistan
1996 Madras Netherlands Pakistan Germany
1997 Adelaide Germany Australia Spain
1998 Lahore Netherlands Pakistan Australia
1999 Brisbane Australia South Korea Netherlands
2000 Amstelveen Netherlands Germany South Korea
2001 Rotterdam Germany Australia Netherlands
2002 Cologne Netherlands Germany Pakistan
2003 Amstelveen Netherlands Australia Pakistan
2004 Lahore Spain Netherlands Pakistan
2005 Chennai Australia Netherlands Spain
2006 Terrassa Netherlands Germany Spain
2007 Kuala Lumpur Germany Australia Netherlands
2008 Rotterdam Australia Spain Argentina
2009 Melbourne Australia Germany South Korea
2010 M’gladbach Australia England Netherlands
2011 Auckland Australia Spain Netherlands
2012 Melbourne Australia Netherlands Pakistan
2014 Bhubaneswar Germany Pakistan Australia
2016 London Australia India Germany
Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018
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