The Pakistan Hockey Team left in disbelief after shedding out on their Olympics berth (Credit: Twitter)
After shedding 0-4 to Germany within the event’s semi-final, Pakistan went down 2-3 to New Zealand within the third-place match final night time, ending their probabilities of making it to this 12 months’s Paris Olympics as solely the top-three made the reduce.
Pakistan’s embattled males’s hockey staff has did not qualify for the Olympic Games for a 3rd consecutive time after shedding its ultimate shot at a Paris ticket within the FIH Qualifiers in Oman, a outcome that left the sport’s former greats right here unhappy and outraged in equal measure.
After shedding 0-4 to Germany within the event’s semi-final, Pakistan went down 2-3 to New Zealand within the third-place match final night time, ending their probabilities of making it to this 12 months’s Paris Olympics as solely the top-three made the reduce.
Pakistan’s final Olympic look was within the 2012 Games the place the staff signed off seventh, a marginal enchancment from its worst ever eighth place end within the Beijing Games in 2008. The staff is general an eight-time medallist within the mega-event, three of them being gold (1960, 1968, and 1984).
“What do you expect bhai (brother), when the team is sent to the Olympic qualifiers with just 18 days training whereas all the other teams have come there with months of preparation and training,” Olympian Wasim Feroze, who was a member of Pakistan’s 1994 World Cup and Champions Trophy successful groups, mentioned.
Pakistan hockey has been in doldrums and was confronted with a monetary disaster resulting in non fee of allowances and contract salaries to gamers and coaches. The monetary crunch at instances compelled the PHF to drag out of worldwide occasions.
But two months again the disaster took a brand new flip when Brigadier (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokar, who was PHF President since 2015, was eliminated by the patron in chief, the caretaker prime minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar.
This led to complete chaos with Khokar refusing to simply accept the federal government resolution and successfully created a state of affairs of parallel authorities with the gamers additionally unsure about their future and coaches coming and going.
Khokar even threatened to go to the FIH and get the PHF suspended as he claimed solely he was recognised by the world physique.
Arch-rivals India certified for Paris with an Asian Games gold final 12 months.
Feroze, who has remained a nationwide selector, mentioned the nation ought to droop taking part in worldwide hockey occasions till it kind outs its inner issues.
“There is no money for players and there is so much politics in the national federation and even at grass root level. Better we first resolve these things then go and play in international events and get embarrassed,” he mentioned.
Former captain, Samiullah mentioned he felt depressed after seeing the extent to which Pakistan hockey had fallen.
“I mean, if we can’t even win one match which was like a final for us what is going to happen? In the last quarter of the match against NZ the players just didn’t have the fitness or spirit to secure victory,” he mentioned.
Samiullah mentioned it was a disgrace that Pakistan would now miss its third successive Olympics.
His modern, Islahuddin Siddiqui agreed and mentioned the gamers had been simply not well-prepared for the qualifiers.
“Pakistan hockey has been in a mess for the last four-five years because of the governance. Coaches have changed so rapidly and players are not sure about their financial security. It is so sad,” he mentioned.
Islahuddin was captain of the Pakistan staff that received the World Cup in 1978 in Argentina.
Pakistan’s former captain, Hasan Sardar mentioned it was a tragic day for Pakistan.
“I mean I don’t know what the government is also doing because weeks before the Olympic qualifiers the President of the federation is sacked and he refuses to accept the decision. Coaches are changed, old players are brought back,” he mentioned.
“How can a team combination be prepared in 2-3 weeks?” he requested.
Pakistan haven’t any main title to their credit score since successful the Asian Games in 2010.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated news company feed – PTI)
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