KARACHI, Sept 15: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary, Asif Bajwa on Monday unveiled a four-year plan for the uplift of Pakistan hockey at the Hockey Club of Pakistan.

“It is the wish of every Pakistani to see the national game come up again and today, I want to present to you a comprehensive mega plan for the next four years that I have been working upon for the past couple of years. I think it has the power to pull Pakistan hockey out of the dump it has fallen into,” he said.

“I am disclosing to you my dream in the form of this plan but I need your support in perfecting it. So you are welcome to criticise it as well as come up with more ideas so that I can check where I have gone wrong,” he said while asking the Pakistan Sports Board, sponsors, banks, telecom sector and airlines for their help as well the funding which the PHF would require in order to execute the plan.

“It is sad to find ourselves at number eight today and, not just in the Beijing Olympics, but in world rankings as well. So I pledge you to not give up on us and hold PHF’s hand to strengthen it.

“I want to give hockey a system on which it could build sturdy buildings that will be able to withstand all kinds of weather conditions and situations. So please come forth to support me in my endeavor to save hockey,” he said.

With a focus on the development of hockey involving schools and clubs along with introducing a proper league system, Bajwa’s plan also underlines the importance of technical proficiency.

“It is said that the PHF doesn’t have any prerogative towards school hockey and that promoting hockey at the school level is the government’s job. We want to change that by introducing school hockey championships from the district, regional to national level,” he said.

“The national school champions, after undergoing a three-week long camp, would then be sent abroad to feature in foreign competitions so that the players too know what it means to represent your country and feel proud to be doing so,” added Bajwa. He hoped to start this phase from January 2009.

Further development work will see the setting up of at least 12 grooming centres all over Pakistan including Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Banu, Peshawar, Abbotabad, Bahawalpur and Lahore.

“Right now we have two centralised academies in Lahore and Karachi but we have identified some 12 locations all over the country from where talent has emerged over the years. The grooming centres we set up there, will have paid, responsible coaches to bring in some sort of uniformity in the teaching of hockey to the younger players by following a set PHF syllabus,” said Bajwa.

“Then we have also planned the setting up of an institute of development and research and for that we want to bring in a foreign coach who would oversee the function of all the grooming centres,” Bajwa explained.

“And this is how we hope to see elite-class players in the 14 to 16 year-old age group. To make sure that no talent goes unchecked, we have already spoken to the Pakistan Sports Board about holding three regular tournaments every year. That will take care of the players who didn’t reach the grooming centres,” he said.

The young PHF official said he also wanted to end the procedure of junior players upgraded to the senior team and then returning to junior ranks. “This results in players getting disheartened and it has been seen that such boys stop working hard after being sent back. So we are adopting a policy against that system,” he said.

About involving the clubs, he said: “In the coming days, we will also be taking club championships from the district to the national level. I am aware that club hockey existed earlier as well but didn’t take off for some reason. But we’ll make club championships a regular feature offering different incentives to around 100 certified clubs.”

Bajwa, while also regretting the demise of the Premier Hockey League in the past, said that the PHF will be starting a new league championship called ‘Super Hockey’ with prizes worth US$100,000 for the winners. “For Super Hockey, which we hope to start in Lahore from March-April next year, we’ll invite players from all hockey-playing countries,” he said.

Apart from taking care of inducting fresh talent within the PHF, Bajwa also disclosed his plan to bring up technical proficiency within the federation. “We will regularise the grooming of technical officials with the training of umpires and coaches in order to fill the shortage of technical officials here. We have also sent out letters to the sports boards of various districts and regions to start monitoring the performance of the umpires and coaches working with them,” he announced.

And having announced his four-year plan, Bajwa, while folding up his papers, said: “With this plan underway, I promise you that Pakistan will at least reach the podium in the 2012 London Olympics. And I am saying this with confidence. But we are not just targeting the Olympics, mind you,” he added, “our short-term measures include the 2010 World Cup, the Junior World Cup, the Asian Games, the Champions Trophy.”

To a question regarding the foreign coach he had mentioned to oversee the grooming centres, Bajwa said he has been talking to various potential coaches from Holland, Germany and Australia for the job.

To another question about the expected budget required for the execution of his ambitious plan, Bajwa said it is estimated at around 50 to 60 million annually for which the PHF needs to generate funds through various sponsorships as well as help from the government.

“I am only planting a tree,” he said finally. “Maybe I won’t be around to enjoy the fruit it bears but someone had to plant this tree so that others can reap its benefits,” he concluded, sounding a bit emotional.