Lost Heroes of Pakistan Hockey: Olympian Hanif Khan
Pakistan has a history of producing renowned players that take the sporting world by storm. The irony of the matter, however, is that after these players retire, the nation forgets them in a very short span of time. They do not even ask for their interest in serving their own country. They don’t even give them the respect they deserve and don’t honour them in any way.
Such a player in Pakistan hockey, who was feared by defenders all over the world because of his speed and his ever-growing technique, made a mark in the sport in a very short period. This player was incredible in his versatility, and had eye-catching skills that made him the apple of the fans’ eyes. That wonderful player was Hanif Khan.
Hanif was amongst those players who never had a good ground to play hockey on till they reached the camps. He played for his college and he proved to be so good that he was promptly selected to be part of the Pakistan national hockey team. In a short span of time, he gained a reputation as one of the most talented forwards in the world. Even years after the retirement of this “goal scoring machine”, he wanted to serve Pakistan hockey and remained as coach to train the team and help prepare them meet the growing challenges around the world.
Such a great player, but he has got no popularity. He himself, just like other stars, admitted to the fact that hockey has not remained popular in Pakistan as other sports have. The fans’ support became less and less through the years and hockey, being Pakistan’s national sport, is not promoted. Due to this, hockey stars are not renowned as stars of other games, like cricket, for example, are.
Hanif Khan believes that the Pakistani team’s hockey performance is going down. One of the reasons for this, he states, is that there is no charm remaining in hockey for the youth, as they have (rightfully) observed that being a hockey player does not ensure you any prestige or honour.
He believes that the players should be allowed to play until they are performing well in the game. He was the part of the squad of the gold-winning team of Pakistan in 1984, in which most of the players were forced to quit after the tournament. He is also of the view that the players must play their role in promoting the sport in Pakistan.
Hanif Khan, one of the finest players from his time, believes that if more venues and pitches are set for the players, they will be able to polish more and more players’ talent and will achieve the glory they have lost in International hockey.
Hanif Khan was made the head coach of the team alongside two other former players. This system of having three coaches was introduced as Pakistan tried following the footsteps of the European teams. During the time of Hanif Khan, the Asian teams had complete reign over the sport. These coaches trained the team to the extent that they were able to give some good performances.
Hanif Khan is of the view that the training camps should have a positive impact on the players of the team. Coaches should focus on the individual effort of players as well as the team coordination. They should train the team to come up with a good game plan and strategy. They must also concentrate on the ever-growing need of the tactics in the game.
He is really optimistic about the future of Pakistan, and believes that it hasn’t lost the entire spotlight yet, and hockey will flourish in the years to come.
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