BHUBANESWAR: ‘The rise of cricket has killed hockey in Pakistan.’
That was the frank opinion of Pakistan manager Hassan Sardar whose side limped out of the World Cup on Tuesday.
Sardar played for the country during their glory days, and was a member of Pakistan’s 1982 World Cup and 1984 Olympic gold medal-winning sides.
"We had plenty of support from every quarter back then and hockey was a popular sport. But if I was a sportsman of this era, even I would have picked up a cricket bat instead of a hockey stick," said Sardar.
Pakistan's only point in the World Cup was the 1-1 draw against Malaysia in Group D. The four-time World Cup champions lost all their other matches.
"There is no hockey culture in Pakistan now as people now follow cricket. Children want to play the game because there are role models for them to follow on television.
"To compound matters, there are no current hockey role models for the children to idolise and pick up the sport in a big way," said the legendary centre-forward of his generation.
The lack of money and administrative problems have also hastened the decline of the sport in Pakistan.
“Our federation are facing problems and this is carried forward to players and coaches as well. We lost Roelant Oltmans (Malaysian coach) because of this very reason,” said Sardar.
Pakistan did not have the funds to continue paying Oltmans, and the Dutchman was hired by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation after the Indonesia Asian Games.
Sardar added: “There is no grassroots hockey anymore. There are a few academies left and no domestic hockey is being played.
“This is the truth behind Pakistan's demise in hockey."