When folks speak about hockey, India’s golden period is commonly the very first thing that involves thoughts. Led by legends corresponding to Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Sr. and a number of other others, the Indian workforce established itself as a powerhouse of the game, successful eight Olympic gold medals and one World Cup.
But, even in an period when India dominated the hockey world, there was one workforce that stood out as their fiercest rival. And you do not have to look too far to seek out them.
It was the boys in inexperienced, Pakistan.
It’s a little troublesome to fathom at this second. However let’s lay out the stats, lets?
Pakistan gained three Olympic gold medals in 1960 in Rome, 1968 in Mexico Metropolis and 1984 in Los Angeles, threatening India’s monopoly on hockey. However the glory does not cease there for them. They have been the inaugural World Cup champions in 1971 in Barcelona after which added three extra, together with their 1982 triumph in Mumbai.
For Tauqeer Dar, these have been days when Pakistan dominated the hockey world. Born right into a household with a hockey legacy, Dar’s father, Munir, and his uncle, Tanvir, have been Olympic champions, and so was he. So after we needed to know what it was wish to see the boys in inexperienced on the time, there was nobody higher to clarify it.
“It was a dream. That was like Brazil’s dominance in soccer. That is the one approach you possibly can evaluate it. And the period began from ’56 at Melbourne and led to Sydney in ’94. There was a short interval of 10 years between 84 and 94, the place there was a droop, however we bounced again and gained the World Cup in Sydney,” an emotional Dar remembered.
Ijaz Chaudhry, a journalist who has written extensively about hockey for Daybreak and Tribune, additionally mentioned that ending with out the gold medal on the Olympics or with out the World Cup trophy wasn’t an possibility for Pakistan.
“Ending second within the World Cup and Olympics meant catastrophe,” mentioned Ijaz.
And their model of hockey’s affect transcended sports activities disciplines. Through the soccer World Cup in 1978, Argentina introduced house the soccer World Cup, however they have been impressed by the Pakistan hockey workforce.
The 1978 Hockey World Cup was held in Buenos Aires. A couple of months later, Argentina hosted the soccer World Cup and went on to win the title, Dar recalled.
“So then Argentine coach Cesar Luis Menotti was requested why we had seen a special technique from him. He used his wingers and his centre-forward to attain more often than not. Mario Kempes was the centre-forward at the moment.
“So, he replied that he watched the Hockey World Cup, all of the matches performed by Pakistan, and adopted their technique. And he thanked them for that,” mentioned Dar.
This story was additionally confirmed by Ijaz, who mentioned the then Pakistan workforce supervisor, Waheed Khan, acquired a telegram in Karachi from Menotti. The Argentina coach acknowledged that the Pakistan hockey workforce’s techniques had proved very helpful to him and his World Cup-winning squad.
The legacy that Pakistan has within the World Cup extends past their achievements on the sector. They have been additionally one of many the reason why the event exists.
Pakistan’s legendary sports activities administrator, the late Air Marshal Nur Khan, performed a pivotal position within the creation of the Hockey World Cup.
Throughout his tenure as president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, he suggested the Worldwide Hockey Federation (FIH) that hockey wanted a World Cup to extend folks’s curiosity within the recreation, arguing that one international event on the Olympics was not sufficient.
The FIH finally accepted Pakistan’s proposal, paving the best way for the World Cup. Pakistan additionally donated the magnificent World Cup trophy, made up of gold, silver, ivory and teak wooden.
That makes Pakistan’s absence on the high of the sport right this moment all of the extra miserable.
By this level, you’ll most likely be questioning what occurred to the inexperienced sticks. A fast take a look at the rankings and their current performances sort of sums it up.
Pakistan are ranked twelfth on the planet and, within the nine-team FIH Professional League 2025-26, they completed useless final, shedding all their 16 matches with a purpose distinction of -57.
In truth, since that 1994 World Cup win, they’ve made it to the Olympic semi-finals simply as soon as, in 2000. After that, they’ve by no means made it wherever near contesting for medals and did not qualify for 3 editions of the Olympics from 2016 to 2024.
Within the World Cup, they’ve by no means made it to the semi-finals since their win in 1994 and their look at this 12 months’s occasion would be the first since 2018.
Pakistan hockey has remained within the information for all of the mistaken causes. The India-Pakistan rivalry, which as soon as dominated world hockey, is not even a contest now. India have been unbeaten against Pakistan for over 10 years.
There was a pay dispute that put the gamers getting ready to a boycott. Then the turmoil in Pakistan hockey culminated with the boys’s workforce being stranded in Australia and having to look after themselves as they did not obtain any backing from their very own federation.
And hours earlier than leaving for his or her World Cup task, they found out that their head coach Herman Kruis wasn’t actually going to be in that role. He can be an advisor to the federation, whereas goalkeeping coach Bob Johan Veldhof can be elevated to the position.
In my conversations with Ijaz and their former coach Siegfried Aikman, I raised the questions and their response was the identical.
“Turmoil isn’t surprising in terms of Pakistan hockey.”
So how did the as soon as mighty inexperienced sticks fall? Is it because of the ability of their gamers, the federation, or are there different elements? So we took a glance throughout the border to see what occurred to the gorgeous recreation of hockey and the way a large acquired shrunk.
ABSENCE OF A SYLLABUS
The factor with fashionable hockey is that it always modifications. It is virtually like the sport while you watch it. All the things occurs quick, each second counts, and every second is an opportunity to vary the sport.
This compelled everybody to vary and adapt to the trendy fashion. However Pakistan, or fairly their Olympians, felt it was finest to stay within the days of the previous.
Aikman had come to Pakistan with the intention of adjusting the sport in 2021. He mentioned he had a long-term plan to replace them to the trendy methods of hockey. However he was met with pushback.
“These days, hockey’s modified lots, and it is about technical, bodily, psychological, and social elements. It is about sports activities science, lots about sports activities science. It is about different coaching strategies. It is about one other technical strategy.”
“They nonetheless play with the left exterior, left inside, centre ahead, proper inside, proper ahead. 1 centre half, 2, left and proper again, and two centre halves, centre backs. In order that system does not work anymore,” mentioned Aikman.
The Dutch coach offered his concepts, however everybody needed immediate outcomes. However nobody was prepared to vary the syllabus of hockey throughout the nation.
“I offered the concepts to the federation, they have been enthusiastic. They mentioned, we wish to go for this long-term purpose.
“However as quickly, as a result of they should handle the press, they should handle expectations. They should handle the Olympians. The Olympians are actually horrible as a result of they’re killing the whole lot,” mentioned Aikman.
PROBLEM WITH EX-OLYMPIANS?
Dar additionally agreed with Aikman and defined how the Olympians have been a difficulty and haven’t allowed the sport to develop with fashionable strategies.
“They do not wish to go to the bottom. They do not wish to see one another at school. They do not wish to be pushing hockey of their city, however they wish to grow to be the nationwide coach. They wish to grow to be the selectors.”
“So what number of coaches and what number of selectors can Pakistan hockey have?” mentioned Dar.
The Olympic legend was adamant that if the syllabus does not change for Pakistan hockey, and there is not a uniform one within the nation, the gamers will stay confused as they transfer from junior to senior degree.
“Now we have to vary the construction. Now we have to have one syllabus within the nation.”
“The issue is in each city, each metropolis, there’s a coach who’s an Olympic gold medallist or a world champion. He has acquired his personal books, and he teaches a syllabus to a boy.”
“When he comes from the city to the city areas, the subsequent coach says, what the hell have you ever been finding out? Here’s a new e-book. And that is the syllabus for you.”
“So while you transfer from junior workforce to senior workforce, there’s one other. I really feel sorry for the gamers. They do not have a clue what the construction is that they need to observe as a result of there are 100 constructions within the area proper now,” mentioned Dar.
The issue with this was additionally narrated by Aikman, who nonetheless feels he’s watching the hockey of the 80s when he sees a recreation of Pakistan. He additionally identified how the emphasis is simply stored on the goalscorers and nothing else. One thing he has seen India bypass to grow to be a robust workforce once more.
“The state tournaments are nonetheless such as you watch the hockey of the eighties. As a result of that is what the gamers be taught within the academies.”
“They be taught Ajao Ajao Ajao. You get the ball, you run. Then what,? Who can we recognise? They recognise the purpose scorers.”
“The purpose scorers are principally the MVP of the match. By no means defender. By no means somebody who is an effective midfielder and makes it doable, a participant like Hardik Singh. He won’t ever be the MVP in Pakistan.”
“Now in India, these gamers additionally grow to be MVPs. Now Harmanpreet generally is a MVP. Previously, that was unattainable.”
“It was concerning the PC flicker. The PCs who scored essentially the most objectives get essentially the most compliments, however Pakistan overlook that you just want an injector. You want a trapper. It must be in rhythm.”
“So if you happen to solely recognise the glint, then the opposite gamers will. They do not have the willingness to sacrifice the whole lot to make another person huge and wealthy,” mentioned Aikman.
DOMESTIC STRUCTURE IN RUINS
One other side that Dar identified was how the home construction was, proper from the time of partition, most likely one of the best on the planet and supplied the gamers with a way of safety.
“After I say that Pakistan’s home construction was one of the best, while you learn Australian cricket, you first discuss concerning the home construction. If you speak about English cricket, you discuss concerning the counties, proper?”
“That is what Pakistan hockey was offering.”
“We had pillars. After partition, we’ve pillars like police, railways and armed forces. And after we gained the gold at Rome, extra establishments got here in and hockey was declared the nationwide recreation of Pakistan by Normal Ayub Khan.”
“Extra establishments wish to personal hockey groups, you recognize, they wish to have the identify connected with Pakistan hockey. So then got here Pakistan Customs. They made a workforce. Then got here all of the banks, metal mills, WAPDA and PIA in any case. When these two organisations, Pakistan Customs and PIA got here in, hockey made nice strides.,” mentioned Dar.
The Olympian remembers how the groups would battle it out and have unimaginable rivalries, however extra importantly, they supplied the gamers with jobs and safety.
“Each hockey participant had no worries about bread and butter in his house. He had all give attention to hockey, and he was, he was, everyone knew about him in society,” mentioned Dar.
However this very system, the envy of many hockey groups, was hit exhausting by austerity coming in after 1994. This led to the collapse of the groups and now, they do not exist. With this went the roles and safety, forcing present gamers to be on contracts fairly than being skilled gamers.
And on the identical time, throughout the globe, you will have nations like India giving gamers a way of safety. Stars like Manpreet Singh work with the Punjab Police after they aren’t concerned with hockey.
“If Pakistan was the one skilled workforce on the planet a couple of many years in the past, now they’re the one novice workforce on the planet,” mentioned Dar.
One more reason that Ijaz identified was how bogus golf equipment began to make their approach into the game, simply in order that the federation may present numbers.
“Whereas golf equipment have been conserving hockey alive until the current previous, that scene too is now not what it was. In Lahore, solely six or seven ‘real’ golf equipment are lively, although the Lahore district hockey affiliation would declare there are greater than 20.”
“Whereas the district inter-club hockey event would additionally present as many golf equipment taking part as claimed by the district hockey affiliation, the very fact of the matter is that the ‘faux’ golf equipment elevate groups solely for the championships. The workplace bearers in district hockey associations are solely concerned about clinging to their posts primarily by means of votes of those faux golf equipment,” mentioned Ijaz.
All of this has brought about folks to not take a look at hockey as a profitable possibility in comparison with cricket. The kits for the sport aren’t subsidised by the federal government, which means that individuals and academies are left to fend for themselves.
Dar, who runs essentially the most profitable Dar Hockey Academy, revealed how it’s powerful to supply graphite hockey sticks and kits for the gamers.
“Hockey proper now’s the most costly workforce recreation on the planet that I do know as a result of I’m on the floor day-after-day.”
“I’ve to purchase hockey sticks for my youngsters. I’ve to purchase the sneakers, you recognize. I’ve to purchase the goalkeeping kits, so I understand how a lot that prices.”
“An Obo goalkeeping equipment that prices you 1500 {dollars}. So if it isn’t subsidised at some place or time, how will you grow to be a hockey participant?”
“There’s not a single logic in my nation proper now that I ought to ship my son to play hockey,” mentioned Dar.
THE PHF ISSUE
But, no story concerning the state of Pakistan hockey is full with out the Pakistan Hockey Federation.The PHF has been on the centre of all of the controversies associated to the game within the nation and has single-handedly ensured that no sponsors get connected to them.
Aikman revealed how he wasn’t paid after simply months into the job and nonetheless hasn’t acquired his cost so far.
“I had a long-term contract after half a 12 months, they did not pay me any extra. I stayed there yet another 12 months, and after that I give up. I mentioned, guys, if you happen to do not pay me, I can not maintain doing the work. So I left Pakistan, and I am nonetheless ready for my cash. It by no means got here and it’ll by no means come, I feel,” mentioned Aikman.
He recalled how through the 2022 Commonwealth Video games, the gamers did not have even the fundamental amenities at their disposal.
“We lacked tools. We went to the Commonwealth Video games and we ready with 18 Kookaburra balls. We did not have GPS trackers. We had nothing. We did not have entry to a traditional fitness center throughout coaching,” mentioned Aikman.
And the rot begins from the very high. PHF has been embroiled in a number of claims of cash being embezzled by workplace bearers.
Through the 2017 to 2018 interval, a girls’s workforce camp price PHF two million Pakistan rupees, in line with Daybreak. Official PHF paperwork present that Olympian Saeed Khan served because the supervisor of the coaching camp, with the invoice abstract additionally carrying his signature.
However in a surprising twist, Khan claimed that he by no means even knew about such a camp and that it wasn’t even his personal signature.
Through the 2020 to 2021 audit by the Pakistan Sports activities Board, it was revealed {that a} hefty Rs100 million was drawn in money from the financial institution accounts of the PHF.
The Pakistan prime minister has the discretionary energy to nominate anybody because the chief of the PHF and in different huge roles. Usually, these calls have led to folks with none information of the sport coming in and leaving with their pockets crammed.
When Asif Bajwa took over as secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation in 2008, he reportedly arrived on the federation’s Lahore workplace in a rickshaw. By the point his tenure led to 2013, claims emerged that he had acquired a Land Cruiser, a number of properties throughout Pakistan and substantial wealth.
He was additionally accused of involvement in human smuggling and of working a purportedly fictitious firm, Hassan Enterprises, alongside his brother in legislation. Based on the allegations, round 30 per cent of PHF grants was allegedly channelled to Hassan Enterprises as fee, whereas giant sums have been reportedly withdrawn in money.
It has additional been alleged that Bajwa withdrew roughly Rs52 crore in money from PHF accounts throughout his first stint and one other Rs22 crore throughout his second tenure. Such withdrawals have been reportedly opposite to the PHF’s monetary rules, which required funds and withdrawals of this nature to be made by means of crossed cheques.
Even the final PHF president, Tariq Bugti, who banned former captain Ammad Shakeel Butt for talking about the Australia fiasco, was appointed by interim PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. The reason is each males have been from Balochistan.
This led to the state that Pakistan finds itself in, in line with Ijaz.
“Incompetent folks, insincere folks whose sole goal was to only to spend time because the president or secretary, proper, and make merry. They did embezzlement, corruption, and simply to make the journeys. They have been completely insincere to the trigger that’s Pakistan hockey,” mentioned Ijaz.
THE WAY FORWARD
With the overall feeling that Pakistan wants a change in hockey, it was Ijaz who mentioned that there are actions being made in the correct route.
He claimed that there’s curiosity in bringing a league within the type of the Hockey India League into the nation. He revealed that there was curiosity from a number of the Pakistan Tremendous League house owners to return into play if a league involves fruition.
“A hockey league modelled on the PSL is possible. Certainly, some house owners of PSL franchises have already expressed curiosity in buying hockey groups, ought to such a contest be launched.”
“The 2026 PSL lasted lower than seven weeks, leaving a considerable window within the sporting calendar for a nationwide hockey league. The success of the franchise-based Hockey India League demonstrates the potential of such a mannequin. The presence of overseas stars and high quality coaches has contributed considerably to the revival of Indian hockey. An analogous competitors may remodel Pakistan hockey,” mentioned Ijaz.
He additionally mentioned that the sport can enhance not simply on the sector, but additionally off it, with the glitz and glamour bringing in eyeballs.
Dar additionally agreed to this, saying that it’s going to give monetary safety to the gamers, which is conserving them from acting at their optimum.
“That is without doubt one of the predominant elements we’re lacking proper now. That’s what is required. A hockey league is required. We had a hockey league in 2005, however we have been unable to proceed that.”
“Had it been continued from that time, you’d have been within the high 4 once more. The issue lies that we do not handle the principle root trigger.”
“Properly, the boy who’s representing your nation, if he is mentally not secured, and he is on a regular basis serious about the funds, what is occurring at his house, the meals of his mother and father, how can he carry out proper?” mentioned Dar.
So, the trail is now set for Pakistan hockey, however the huge check will come on the World Cup. They will face India on August 19, and it appears everybody already feels it’s a foregone conclusion.
Dar, although, signed off with a reminder that an India-Pakistan contest has a lifetime of its personal. Information and previous outcomes rely for little as soon as the 2 groups step onto the sector.
“I consider the India-Pakistan match is a special ball recreation. It’s on the day.”
“It’s got nothing to do with the information, what occurred final month or final week. It’s on the day.”
“It’s extra of a temperament recreation, and I want and pray that Pakistan do nicely,” mentioned Dar.
Aikman, nevertheless, was far much less optimistic about Pakistan’s probabilities. But, it was one thing else he mentioned that stayed with me, and, in some ways, echoed the bigger level of this story.
“Hockey wants a robust Pakistan too. A robust India and a robust Pakistan is required for the game as a result of in any other case it turns into a western present,” mentioned Aikman.
– Ends
