ISLAMABAD: Former Olympian Samiullah Khan feels the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) now needs to take some bold decisions after the green-shirts lost to India in the Asian Games final recently.

Samiullah said Pakistan — after they failed to retain the Asian Games title in Incheon, South Korea — would now have to go through the qualifying rounds for making the 2016 Olympics.

He said though the green-shirts fared well in the Asiad, the final against arch-rivals India was not their day. “They took the lead but failed to maintain it, which exposed their flaws,” underlined Samiullah, known as ‘Flying Horse’ for his swift speed on the field.

He said it was time for the PHF to start thinking on the ways to qualify for the Olympics.

“We, the former Olympians, would sit once again to discuss what necessary steps should be taken to save the future of Pakistan hockey,” he said.

He reckoned Pakistan should not have gone for penalty shootout in the final, noting they were not prepared for this phase of the game.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2014