Pak hockey team could not qualify for Paris Olympics, lost 2-3 at the hands of New Zealand

Karachi. Pakistan men’s hockey team crashed out of the race for a place in the Paris Games after losing 2-3 to New Zealand in the third-place match of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in Oman. Former veteran players of the country termed this defeat of Pakistan, which was among the best hockey teams in the past, as disappointing. The top three teams from this Olympic qualifier got Olympic tickets. After losing 0-4 to Germany in the semi-finals of the tournament, Pakistan lost to New Zealand in the third-place match on Sunday, ending their chances of making it to this year’s Paris Olympics.

Pakistan team last got a chance to participate in the Olympics in 2012. The team was then ranked seventh. Pakistan has won eight medals at the Olympics, including three gold (1960, 1968, and 1984). Olympian Wasim Firoz, who was part of the Pakistan team that won the World Cup (1994) and Champions Trophy, said, “What do you expect from the team when it is sent to the Olympic qualifiers with just 18 days of practice. All other teams had come to this competition with months of preparation and training.” The management of hockey in Pakistan has been in controversy for some time.

The body governing hockey in the country does not have money to pay allowances and salaries to players and coaches. Due to financial crisis, PHF (Pakistan Hockey Federation) had to withdraw from many international tournaments. Pakistan’s arch-rival on the field of hockey, India secured its ticket to the Paris Olympics last year with the gold medal in the Asian Games. National selector Firoz said the country should stop playing international hockey until internal issues are resolved. He said, “There is no money to give to the players and politics is at its peak even in the grassroots level competitions in the national federation. It is better to get your internal things right and then play international hockey rather than being insulted like this.

Former captain Samiullah said that he was disappointed to see the declining level of Pakistan hockey. “I mean, what’s going to happen if we can’t win even one game that was like a final for us? In the last quarter of the match against New Zealand, the players lacked the fitness and passion to ensure victory. Another former captain of the country, Hasan Sardar, also termed it a disappointing day and said, “I mean, I Don’t know what the government is doing because the federation president is sacked a few weeks before the Olympic qualifiers and refuses to accept the decision. Coaches are changed, old players are brought back.

Disclaimer: IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.

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