Senior players should resign: PHF Chief selector
Chief selector of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Hanif Khan has asked the senior players in the national team to bow out of the game with grace, following their gold medal run at the Asian Games.
The former Olympian maintained that it was the right time for senior players to take retirement from international hockey for the best interests of the country.
He believes that senior players like Zeeshan Ashraf, Rehan Butt, Waseem Ahmed, Shakeel Abbasi and Salman Akber had rendered many services for the national side, and now it is time for junior players to take charge.
Khan added that the PHF is now focusing on bringing in more fresh talent into the national side, with a view towards long-term development, and to put together a talented group of youngsters ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Hanif asserted that the more experienced players were now over age, and their fitness levels were not good enough to compete at the international standard.
Pakistan secured the hockey gold medal at the Asian Games after two decades, defeating Malaysia 2-0 in the final in Guangzhou China. The win also meant that Pakistan gained direct entry into the 2012 London Olympics.
Other than their performance at the Asian Games, 2010 has not been a great year for the Green shirts. They finished 12th in the Hockey World Cup, lost in the Azlan Shah Cup and ended the Commonwealth Games in sixth place.
The future of hockey looked in jeopardy earlier in the year, when the entire 18-member team announced their collective retirement from international hockey following their humiliating finish at the World Cup. The PHF also sacked the selectors and the team
management. But later on the request of the sports ministry, all the players took back their retirements.
However the differences between the management and senior players were already visible over the irresponsible and demoralising statements by the PHF management, regarding dumping of the senior players no matter how well they performed at the Asian Games.
The PHF were of the opinion that the Asian Games was the last chance for the senior players to showcase their abilities at the international level, as they were looking to form a younger side after Asian Games.
On the other hand senior players are of the view that they are completely fit and can play hockey for next two years till Olympics 2012.
Former Olympians have also criticised the PHF’s approach towards the experienced players, and demanded that the National Assembly Committee on Sports resolve the matter.
The PHF should review its policy for the revival of Pakistan hockey on the world stage by striking a balance between senior and junior players for future development.
As hockey is the national game of Pakistan, the country has a splendid history in the sport, having won all the major world titles. Pakistan dominated world hockey until 1994. They secured their first gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, then in 1968 in
Mexico and later in 1984 in Los Angles. Pakistan won four World Cup titles in Barcelona (1971), Argentine (1978), New Delhi (1982) and Sydney (1994).
After their fantastic performance at the Asian Games, Pakistan won a record eighth gold medal at the Games. Their previous titles came in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990 and 2010. The win also seems to suggest that Pakistan might be on its way to
attain their lost glory in world hockey, but the real test will be the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 World Cup.
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