Glasgow 2014: Pakistan men’s hockey team miss out

Pakistan's men's hockey team has suffered a dip in fortunes, and won't enter a team at Glasgow 2014 due to an internal dispute. Picture: Getty

The country’s Olympic body, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), split into two separate factions earlier this year, with only one recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The other is backed by the state-run Pakistan Sports Board.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation, which relies on the state-run Sports Board, ignored the IOC-backed faction of the POA and, as a result, showed no interest in sending a team to Glasgow for next year’s Games.

President of the POA Arif Hasan warned that the decision not to send a team would damange hockey, which is hugely popular in the south Asian country.

“Every Pakistani has emotional association with hockey, but the apathy from the hockey officials has led to this exclusion,” said Hasan, who indicated that Pakistan would be sending teams to Glasgow to compete in other events.

The country boasts four hockey world titles, and three Olympic gold medals, but the men’s team failed to impress at the London Olympics, losing 7-0 to Australia in their final group match - which their manager Akhtar Chaudry called ‘the worst game’, adding: “I have never seen Pakistan play like this before in my 47-year career.”

Although the team won their first match against Argentina, they lost their next five matches to New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia, India and Great Britain, needing a win against Australia to advance to the semi-finals.

The Hockey Federation’s secretary, Asif Bajwa, resigned last week as a result of the team’s poor performances, while former players have demanded a reshuffle in the country’s hockey set-up and have threatened to destory their medals unless the Pakistan government address the problems in the sport.

The two factions that have emerged from the ashes of the Pakistan Olympic Association are battling each other for power, risking suspension by the IOC.

The world body has now called representatives of both sides to Lausanne in an attempt to settle the ongoing dispute.

It is understood that the Commonwealth Games Federation gave the POA an extra month beyond the initial August deadline to to submit a team for next year’s Games, but the POA made no application after no assurance was received from Pakistan’s Hockey Federation that it would send a team to Glasgow.

The country finished sixth in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, and won silver in the 2006 Melbourne Games.