The Pakistani hockey team`s performance at the Beijing Olympics was dismal, to say the least.

Add to this the fact that Pakistan, for a second successive year, is out of next year`s six-nation Champions Trophy scheduled in Melbour-ne, Australia, and the future of Pakistan hockey will seem absolutely bleak.

In the five matches that were played in Beijing Pakistani hockey players could score only 13 goals. The green shirts conceded 17 goals, a fact which speaks volumes for the team`s poor scoring ability and weak defence. The penalty corner conversion rate left much to be desired and goalkeeping too was not up to the mark.

It appeared that the team was not fully trained to face formidable teams, despite the fact that prior to the mega event the PHF provided all possible incentives to the team management and players.          Before leaving for Beijing, PHF president and former prime minister of Pakistan Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had said that he would increase the cash award from $300 to $500 for each member of the team for winning every single match, hoping that it would encourage the squad to win the gold medal.

The PHF chief also paid a handsome monthly amount to coaches for the first time in our history so that the former Olympians could train our hockey players with full professional commitment. But the Beijing debacle is a poor reflection on the kind of training that our Olympians imparted to the squad.

Jamali, who was in Beijing as member of the FIH Jury of Appeal, has expressed his disappointment at Pakistan`s poor performance.

It was a terrible experience watching hockey matches on TV during the Olympic Games. Our forwards unnecessarily stayed with the ball instead of releasing it in time to their fellow attackers. Their over-dribbling provided opportunities to their super-fit opponents to regroup themselves to thwart Pakistan`s attacks. Pakistani forwards` finishing was terribly poor, as a result of which the team failed to convert its efforts into goals. The lop-sided attacks showed lack of cohesion and understanding between players. The half-line and defensive networks crumbled under the onslaught launched by super fast Britain, Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

After the Beijing debacle, a sustained campaign has been launched to build pressure on Mr Jamali to resign from his post. It seems certain that he would prefer to resign after meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Former Olympian Qasim Zia, president of the Punjab People`s Party, is expected to be the new PHF chief.

Similar changes had also been made in the past after Pakistan failed to win major tournaments, but no improvement was ever witnessed.

Pakistan has yet to regain the Olympic title after the 1984 Los Angles Games. We have to accept the fact that none of the former Olympians is technically sound and competent to train the team along modern, scientific lines. We have to change our traditional formation of 5-3-2-1 to the internationally accepted formation of 3-4-3-1 or 4-3-3-1. The modern formation requires extraordinary physical fitness for which a qualified foreign trainer is needed.