The end of an era: The fall of Pakistan hockey

As the Pakistani hockey team fails to qualify for its second successive Olympics, one cannot help but think of a time when things were brighter.

For those who grew up before its decline, Pakistan was a name to be reckoned with in the world of field hockey. For the lack of words, statistics sum up its worldwide fame: three Olympic gold medals, four world cups, eight gold medals at the Asian Games and three champions trophies.

To gauge the full extent of how dominant Pakistan was on the world stage, let us look at the Olympics. Starting a new era with a silver at Melbourne in 1956, it won a gold at Rome in 1960, another silver at Tokyo in 1964, another gold at Mexico City in 1968, a third silver at Munich in 1972, a bronze at Montreal in 1976, another gold at Los Angeles in 1984, and a bronze at Barcelona in 1988. Excluding the 1980 Olympics, which Pakistan had boycotted in collaboration with the United States, Pakistan managed to win medals at seven consecutive Olympics over 28 years.

Yet the higher they rose, the harder they fell. Currently, the team is ranked among the lowest in the world at 17th. In the past, hockey legends such as Samiullah Khan saw thousands of fans greeting them as they brought home trophies, with crowds filling the streets. At present, the sport is played in under-filled stadiums, and its title as the official national sport of a cricket-obsessed nation comes as a surprise to some. Where once facing Pakistan meant definite defeat, now it has become a synonym for mediocrity and inconsistency.

Instead of medal after medal at the Olympics, Pakistan has failed to qualify for the event in Tokyo–a stark contrast to the silver, it won there 57 years ago.

The decline of Pakistan hockey has coincided with the introduction of artificial turf in the hockey world. The new pitches overturned the dynamic of the game, and especially the dribble and dodge tactics that Pakistan had perfected. It also demands much greater fitness and standards that Pakistan has not been able to maintain. Crucially, changes to the game over the decades have meant that hockey now is a game different from the one that Pakistanis mastered in their prime time. Where others adapted, Pakistan failed.

However, Pakistan itself is not faultless. The Pakistan Hockey Federation has been unable to give its players the international exposure and facilities, they once did. This is owed to both a lack of funds and the inefficiency in using what is provided. The ever increasing glamour of cricket does not help hockey either as both the corporate sector and the government are attracted towards more lucrative opportunities in cricket. The decline of domestic tournaments, which act as a key source of talent, has also been damaging. If things are to change, we need improvements at every level.

The truth is that building a team, which lives up to its legacy, is not an overnight process. Years of negligence cannot be rectified without years of consistent improvement in each and every aspect of the system. Starting at the grassroots is an excellent first step, because the one thing Pakistan has never lacked is a young generation full of talent and passion, ready to help it rise to even greater heights.