The Pakistan hockey team has seen the greatest of times and once the men in green shirts were unbeatable. They remained dominant in this sport for a long time and won four Hockey World cup titles. As time went on, the Pakistan hockey team started to loose
the grip it had and went from the very top to the very bottom. There were some great players in the Pakistan hockey team who were known for their speed, technique and their control over the ball. In the last World cup held in India, Pakistan saw its worst
performance of all time and the team ended in a very disgraceful 12th spot amongst the 12 playing teams. This was the lowest of the lows Pakistan hockey had faced. For a team which has been dominant in the game for such a long time, it was not what
was expected of them. The team’s performance jolted the officials and the former players who loved the sport.
The hockey team of Pakistan is very much like the West Indian cricket team. Both the teams used to be the most dominant in their sport but in the recent times, both have had to face the most disgraceful results. Hockey is also the national game of Pakistan
which also causes a concern for the officials in the country. It seems like the men in green have forgotten the winning ways.
After the defeat in the World cup, the team had another chance of fighting back in the Commonwealth games which were again held in India like the World cup. The team was again unable to win a medal in the Commonwealth games. Soon after the Commonwealth games,
it was time for the Asian games in China. Pakistan team again went with high hopes and this time inspired everyone with their performance. Pakistan only suffered one defeat to their arch rivals India. The team returned to the country with a gold medal this
time and it finally brought some hope and smiles to the fans back home.
The gold medal in the Asian games also confirmed Pakistan a spot in the Olympics. The performance of the team has brought some confidence back to the side. The goal keeper, Salman Akber, and the short corner specialist Sohail Abbas showed magnificent performance
in the tournament for Pakistan. Sohail scored the most number of goals for Pakistan and Salman’s heroic efforts in the semifinal and the final were inspiring for young hockey players and fans.
Pakistan has to be consistent to prove their worth in hockey. There have been times when the players never thought of loosing when entering a match but the current team has been low on confidence in recent years. Hockey has to improve at the grass root level
so that young players can join the seniors to make a good blend. Pakistan officials need to recognize the importance of improving the infrastructure of hockey at the domestic level so that players can bring their talent to the International level.
Hockey is not the only sport in Pakistan to have problems recently; squash and cricket are also experiencing turbulance. Pakistan has to improve their fitness and performance at the very basic level in order to transform the immense amount of talent they
have, to performance at the International level. The success in Asian games has given some hope to the nation and Pakistan will look to continue with the good form. The real test would be at the London Olympics for Pakistan. If they can do well there, it will
definitely be an encouragement for young players and fans in the country.
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