The Pakistan hockey team finished second at the recent FIH Nations Cup, played in Malaysia. It could be termed an encouraging result, but not an outstanding one. The Nations Cup serves as the qualifier for the FIH’s flagship event, the Pro League. Started in 2019, the FIH Pro League is contested annually by the top nine national teams. In 2022, the FIH Nations Cup was introduced for teams outside the top nine. The winner qualifies for the next edition of the Pro League, replacing the team finishing last in the Pro League. At the 2025 Nations Cup, Pakistan (ranked 15th) played five matches, winning only one — against Japan (ranked 18th) — losing twice to New Zealand (ranked 9th), and drawing against Malaysia (ranked 12th) and France (ranked 10th). Note: Pakistan won the semi-final against France in a shoot-out. A match decided on a shoot-out is considered a draw for the records. That said, the players and the coaches deserve credit, considering the circumstances. Even the players’ daily allowances were not paid to them by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) — not only for this tournament but also for two recent training camps. After its modest Nations Cup success, Pakistan may have a shot at participating in the FIH’s flagship Pro League. That would certainly be a remarkable turnaround for Pakistan hockey’s declining fortunes, but certain concrete steps will need to be taken for that to happen All this compelled the team captain Ammad Butt to protest right in the middle of the Nations Cup. The coaching staff and officials have also been deprived of their daily allowances. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) immediately took notice. Director General PSB Yasir Peerzada retorted, “The PSB fulfilled every demand of the PHF, which cost around nine million in Pakistan rupees.” The DG PSB claimed that the PHF told the Sports Board in writing that it had sufficient funds. Hence, the unpaid daily allowances are the federation’s fault and no one else’s. This controversy got overshadowed by the news that New Zealand, the winners of the Nations Cup, might not be able to participate in the next edition of the Pro League due to a financial crunch faced by the New Zealand Hockey Federation. Pakistan, the runners-up at the Nations Cup, might be invited instead. The FIH has not extended any formal invitation yet to Pakistan to replace New Zealand. However, the PHF has probably been asked about Pakistan’s availability for the Pro League. Needless to say, the perennial issue of funds has also been sprung in Pakistan. While addressing a press conference, the PHF Secretary-General Rana Mujahid said, “Participating in the Pro League demands substantial resources, around 2.5 million dollars.” Hockey is Pakistan’s national sport. The prime minister is ex-officio the Patron-in-Chief of the PHF. All this would make an unversed person wonder why the PHF always cries for financial help? It is all due to the incompetent and tainted hierarchy of the PHF — and not just the incumbents. Pakistan hockey has seen a continuous decline since 2010. The former caretaker prime minister Anwarul Haq Kakar unashamedly admitted in a press conference that he had appointed the present PHF president, Tariq Bugti, only because the latter is from Kakar’s home province of Balochistan. Bugti doesn’t know the ABC of sports. Neither is he capable of attracting sponsors. The PHF is basically a two-man operation. The president and secretary-general wield all the power. The sitting secretary-general of the PHF, Rana Mujahid, enjoys a dubious distinction. This is his second tenure. In his first tenure (2013-15), Pakistan suffered the ignominy of failing to qualify for the Olympics for the first time. During his second tenure, Pakistan couldn’t make it to the 2024 Olympics. Moreover, there are charges of corruption against him. In fact, immediately after being nominated as the president of the PHF, Bugti requested the federal ministry, via a letter, to prevent three former presidents and secretaries of the national federation, including Rana Mujahid, from travelling abroad, as they had allegedly been involved in financial embezzlement. The same Rana Mujahid is, however, serving as Bugti’s secretary now. With this duo at the helm, sponsors too will likely steer clear of the PHF. A person no less than the adviser to the prime minister on inter-provincial coordination, Rana Sanaullah, recently stated that “National sports federations have become parking spaces for retired individuals.” The prime requirement, thus, is the immediate replacement of the PHF’s president and secretary with competent people. SUITABLE REPLACEMENTS Some may ask, “Who can be the suitable replacements?” The name of Tauqeer Dar stands head and shoulders above the rest. The 1984 Olympics’ hockey gold medallist started the Dar Hockey Academy in Lahore in 2006. The academy has been recruiting players from all over the country. Outstation boys are provided with free boarding and schooling. Trained by a coaching team led by a World Cup winner or a decorated Olympian, the academy players are frequently selected for departmental, provincial and city teams participating in national senior and age-group championships. All the semi-finalist teams over the last six national senior and five national junior championships included Dar Hockey Academy players. The academy does not get financial assistance from the government or the PHF. Instead, it relies on support from private sponsors, including multinational companies and contributions from individuals, including Pakistani expatriates. And the academy’s achievements have led to increasing patronage over the years. Pakistanis are generous in donating to the right cause. Thus, Tauqeer ticks all the boxes: he has been involved in creating a grassroots, conveyer belt of talent for the national team, raising sponsorships, and arranging tours to top hockey-playing countries. But he would accept the position of the secretary-general of the PHF only if he enjoys a good working relationship with the president. Considering his resourcefulness, Tauqeer can persuade a business tycoon with fine corporate skills to become the PHF president. Participation in the FIH Pro League would provide Pakistan with a golden opportunity of being a part of international hockey’s mainstream after a long gap. The 2025-26 Pro League would probably start in November this year. With competent, dedicated and honest persons in the PHF, sponsors would no doubt step in to support Pakistan hockey, making Pakistan’s appearance at the FIH Pro League a distinct possibility. Of course, there is fear that the 15th-ranked Pakistan may become the whipping boys of the Pro League. But this is not a given. The national team’s current coach, Tahir Zaman, is the best choice among Pakistani trainers. He should have a good support team. With the no-offside rule, the goalkeeper has assumed the most important role. It is common to see more than 30 circle penetrations on either side in a match. Holland has the most competitive and lucrative hockey league. Many goalkeeper academies function there, offering consultation to international teams. One of them is run by goalkeeper Salman Akbar. Akbar, Pakistan’s former hockey captain, represented the country under the bar from 2001-13. His services were acquired by the Japanese team for the 2016 Asian Games, where Japan won its first Asiad gold. Meanwhile, the legendary Sohail Abbas, the most lethal penalty corner expert in the history of the game, with 348 international goals, is working with the Malaysian national team as its penalty corner coach. All these past players should be called up by the PHF to work with the Pakistan team. Add to that experience from international matches against European countries, and Pakistan should be able to perform reasonably well in the Pro League, if it goes there. In their maiden appearance in the Pro League, a realistic target would be to avoid relegation, finishing between 6-8 in the rankings. To achieve all this, however, the prime requirement would be the immediate replacement of the PHF president and secretary-general with more competent people. It will have a cascading effect. The writer is a freelance sports journalist based in Lahore and can be reached at ijaz62@hotmail.com Published in Dawn, EOS, July 6th, 2025