Hasan Sardar shocked at Pakistan�s annihilation in Melbourne

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Chief Selector Olympian Hasan Sardar was shocked at Pakistan�s 1-9 loss to hosts Australia in the opening encounter of the International Festival of Hockey at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne on November 8.

It was their worst-ever defeat in its hockey history as previously their worst had come at Terrassa, Spain, in the 2016 Champions Trophy when Holland whacked Pakistan 9-2. 

�I am stunned by the hammering at the hands of the Aussies because I was not expecting such a margin of defeat,� he reacted after the nightmarish defeat. 

�Although our team is going through rebuilding process but losing to world champions Australia by such a margin has shocked everyone attached with the national sport,� the ace centre-forward in his playing days conceded. 

He felt that lack of rest and jet lag could be the causes because the Mohammad Irfan led Pakistan outfit had entered the arena barely eight hours after having landed in Australia. Hasn Sardar, however, minced no words in admitting that the Australians were too good a side particularly on their home turf.

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Gold Medalist was optimistic about Pakistan�s team faring better in their coming matches against New Zealand and Japan. 

�Obviously at the moment we are not expecting revolution in national hockey. Our first target is to see Pakistan become Asian champions. Once we achieve that our boys will regain confidence which is so vital in sports,� he added. 

He said that Pakistan barely had a pool of 25 to 30 players from which selectors have to pick the national team. 

Hasan Sardar stated that in order to give international experience they have blooded four juniors in the team following the Asia Cup where Pakistan secured a bronze medal.

He regretted that presently Pakistan was also struggling to score on penalty corners with skipper Mohammad Irfan and Abu Bakar, the penalty corner strikers, unable to penalty corner conversion. 

Meanwhile Blake Govers scored a hat-trick, while Aaron Kleinschmidt hit a double in the Australia�s massive win over Pakistan, who scored their solitary goal via Abu Bakar strike in the 32nd minute. 

Australia dominated the proceedings throughout the game with their first goal coming in the eighth minute, off their first penalty corner. The lead was doubled within four minutes and there was no looking back for the home side. 

Pakistan showed some resilience in the third quarter which seemed the best 15 minutes of the game for the green shirts. They earned a couple of penalty corners, and scored off one of them. Their sloppy defending, however, resumed in the last quarter which saw them conceding as many as four goals.

Sindh CM announces Rs100 million for hockey promotion

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) received a big financial boost as the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, announced a grant of Rs 100 million for promotion and uplift of sport in the country and in the interior of Sindh.

�It�s a great gesture by Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah which was another proof of him being a sports-loving person. He has keen interest in the revival for the past glories of national hockey. He is fully aware of the rich history of Pakistan hockey and the accomplishments in Olympics, World Cups and other major events,� the PHF Secretary, Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed, disclosed after meeting the Chief Minister. 

�Ours was the most fruitful and beneficial meeting with the CM which was really big boost for hockey. He has promised his all out support and assistance in the promotion of the game in the province. He showed particular interest in promotion and development of hockey in the interior of Sindh,� the former Pakistan captain revealed. 

The announcement was made by Murad Ali Shah when three-member delegation led by the PHF President Brig (Retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar alongwith Shahbaz Ahmed and Tariq Hudda called on him at the CM House in Karachi.

Shahbaz Ahmed, who had successfully captained Pakistan to the World Cup triumph in 1994 at Sydney, informed the CM about the plans the PHF was working on the development, promotion and revival of national sport. 

Keeping in view the interest and support of Murad Ali Shah, the PHF Secretary said that they will be allocating National Seniors Hockey Championship as well as the National Schools Under-16 Hockey Championship to the Sindh Hockey Association. 

Shahbaz Ahmed, one of the greatest exponents of the game produced by Pakistan, expressed the confidence that holding the nationals and National School hockey will attract youngsters towards the game.

He said that the National School U-16 Hockey event will be held in newly laid turf at Bakht Ali Dahota Khairpur from November 15 under the auspices of the SHA in which 16 teams including four from Punjab, three from Sindh, two each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Balochistan and one each from Federal Territory Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan will be taking part. 

Shahbaz Ahmed stated that history of sorts will be made when Sukkur will stage National Seniors Championship there from December 10 to 25 in which about 25 teams representing provinces and departmental teams would be in action for the crown. 

Shahbaz Ahmed emphasized that they were also focusing on the working and performance of the affiliated units of PHF particularly, the associations and they will be allocating the national events as per the performances and their organizational abilities.

PHF initiatives for hockey revival hailed

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Former International Hockey player, Mubashir Mukhtar, has appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for revival of international hockey in Pakistan. 

In this regard he referred to organizing of Nishan-e-Haider Hockey tournament and arrival of the Hall of Fame World Eleven in Pakistan besides holding of Pakistan Super Hockey League next year will lead to complete revival of international matches in the country. 

Talking to PNFS, Mubashir, who is now serving as Director Sports in a private engineering university, was confident that the decisions and steps being taken by the PHF President, Brig (Rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, and the Secretary General, Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed, will enable Pakistan to regain its lost stature in the world of hockey. 

He observed that the successful talks held with the officials of PHF's Executive Committee in Dubai, have started yielding positive results and Nishan-e-Haider Hockey Tournament, in which eleven international goalkeepers will be participating, is the first step towards revival of international hockey in Pakistan. 

He said that it will be the first occasion when international hockey players will be participating in a country's domestic event. Similarly he expressed delight with the upcoming planned arrival of World Eleven in November this year will bring activity in the hitherto deserted grounds of Pakistan with the national team playing a three-match series with the World Eleven in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. 

Thereafter in the next year holding of Pakistan Super Hockey League will not only help explore the new talent but also contribute to complete revival of international hockey in the country.

PHF to lay astro-turf at Sir Syed University

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), as a part of its policy to facilitate the youngsters, has decided to lay astro-turf at here the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET). 

This was announced by Olympian Naved Alam, Director, Development & Domestic, PHF, during the seminar entitled �State of Sports in Pakistan� organized by the Sports Journalists Association Sindh (SJAS) with the collaboration of the SSUET, held at the university campus on August 9. 

�Indeed it�s a tragedy that Pakistan�s hockey team is not playing in the ongoing Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Without blaming those responsible for the catastrophe we have decided to get on with it. We have the capacity to regain the lost glories in hockey. India had also not qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games but their team is playing now. There seems no reason why, with so much talents, we could not bounce back at the international level,� the PHF official remarked. 

The SSUET Chancellor, Jawaid Anwar, who presided over the seminar, urged all the stakeholders to work jointly for the cause of promoting sports having brought laurels for the country in the past. 

�It�s time to join hands and rise to the occasion. The country is fortunate to be blessed with enormous talent in sports. It�s the responsibility of all those institutions and departments to work in cohesion to build a kind of infrastructure which is sports friendly,� he reckoned. 

�As part of our contribution to this cause, we are pleased to revive scholarships for our students who excel in sports and are able to earn colours at provincial or national level. We are also in the process of reinforcing our sports department and we would soon be engaging professional coaches to train our students in various games,� the SSUET Chancellor declared. 

Earlier in his opening remarks, the SSUET Registrar, Cdre (retd) Syed Sarfraz Ali, had briefly touched upon the accomplishments of the university in the field of sports. 

Dr Junaid Ali Shah, President, Asghar Ali Shah Sports Foundationa and a former Sindh Minister, believed that the turnaround in sports was very much a possibility if efforts were made collectively in this direction. 

�Let�s try to make things happen. The situation is not conducive but we can still achieve our goals with strong leadership. We have to trust our hopes not fears. Optimism holds the key here. We need to work overtime with missionary zeal in order to accomplish our cherished goals,� he stressed. 

Amjad Aziz Malik, Secretary, International Sports Press Association (AIPS), Asia, proposed that the resourceful departments like Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) be handed over the management of one major sport each. 

�These departments have a history of supporting sports. It will make sense if one of them is entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of cricket while the other one can look after hockey or squash,� he added. 

Azeem Hafeez, a former Test fast bowler, pointed out that the lack of playing facilities was one of the major reasons in the declining standards of various sports in Pakistan. 

�In our playing days there were schools who housed playgrounds. We also had the access to the various cricket grounds which were open to the boys of all over the city. Unfortunately now the grounds have boundary walls and they charge hefty fees to let the cricketers play. Similarly schools cricket is also in doldrums,� he regretted. 

Rishad Mahmood, Editor Sports, Dawn, didn�t mince words in holding the sporting legends responsible for not giving back to sports. 

�It�s very painful to note that those sportsmen who�re able to make it a big, with the exception of just a few, have no inclination to give it back to the game which earned them name and fame. Similarly the sports organizers appear more eager for joyrides than finding ways and means to promote sports,� he lamented.

Mansoor Ali Baig, Editor Sports, Duniya, in his comprehensive speech, covered the ups and downs of the Pakistan sports over the years, recalling the golden era of 1990s when the country had four world titles at a time. 

The seminar was attended by a large number of the SSUET faculty and students besides the members of the SJAS and officials of the various sports bodies.