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Gloom after Glory

The decline of Pakistan hockey is not sudden as it appears to be. It has been a long and agonising deterioration since 1986.

By Daniyal Talat | February 2022

The year 2021, like 2015, went down in history as one of the saddest chapters for the Pakistan hockey team. Pakistan’s inability to qualify for the Olympics for the second time in a row represents a tragic new low. The bitter fact is that Pakistan hockey has gained a ‘loser’ reputation in international hockey and has been synonymous with defeat, mediocrity, and failure. Following their failure to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, Pakistan’s aspirations for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 were dashed when the Netherlands smashed them 6-1 in the second qualifier. Although Pakistan showed some promise in the first qualifier, drawing 4-4 with hosts Holland, the green shirts were no match for the Dutch in the second qualifier.

The Pakistan team used to be one of the most successful national field hockey teams in the world with a record four championships in the hockey World Cup (1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994). It is now ranked 18th in men’s hockey world ranking which is quite shocking for hockey fans.

For many years, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has been unable to provide senior and junior players with enough international experience and facilities. What’s more troubling is that the sport’s terrible financial state has ultimately dealt a fatal blow to the country’s national game. However, such has been the status of Pakistan hockey over the last two decades that the team’s failure to qualify came as no surprise to anyone. The priorities of the people who manage the hockey show, on the other hand, are different. The unpleasant reality is that the national sport has devolved into a game of musical chairs, with authorities and former Olympians taking turns in depriving hockey of both respect and finances. At the same time, the country’s obsession with cricket and the government’s indifference hasn’t helped, as the corporate sector and well-wishers have shifted their loyalties to the cricket, with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) pushing the national sport to the margins. It is also regrettable that, like its cricket equivalent, the PHF has become political and promotes nepotism.

In other nations, those in charge of hockey contribute by making professional judgments and carrying them out competently, rather than on personal preference and bias. Pakistan is not such a country. The remarks made by key PHF executives in the national media are intended to persuade people that the national organization is doing well and that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.


Pakistan’s hockey, which had been in the clouds for more than three decades, is no longer the great powerhouse it once was. Pakistan’s hockey framework is deficient in terms of talent and competition. The entire foundation of the game has shrunk beyond recognition. Pakistan’s hockey collapse is not as spectacular or as sudden as it appears to be. It’s been a long and agonising deterioration since 1986.

Cricket gradually supplanted hockey in schools and universities due to stronger financial benefits and prestige. For the last two decades, the government has done nothing meaningful to promote the country’s national sport, yet it expects results. What a shame! To remain constant, Pakistan hockey has to progress at every level of the game to exhibit an increasing trend.

The collapse of Pakistan hockey correlates with the introduction of artificial grass in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It altered the dynamics of Asian hockey, rendering the dribble-and-dodge game of short passes that Indians and Pakistanis excelled in as obsolete. It also shortened players’ careers to half and required more physical fitness than previously. Asian players have been unable to match the fitness standards of Western players.

One should not hold out hope for the national team to improve or return to its previous glory in the future years, with cronies running the show and inept bureaucrats in charge of the sport. Pakistan hockey needs strong financial backing, passion, and self-belief to rise again. Only consistent hard work leads to success. We should not aspire to reach the heavens in the absence of such an approach. Paying attention to grassroots hockey is critical to the future of the game in Pakistan.

Pakistan has been a superb hockey country for decades, dominating at the international level because of its talent. However, the sport now fails to leave an imprint at the top level of the game. It need to focus on their grassroots level to extend the game’s base. It’s heartbreaking that the country’s national sport, which was played with so much pride and passion, has gone to the dogs.

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