Multidimensional plan to bring revolution in hockey, says Bajwa

Ihtsham-ul-Haq
LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Olympian Asif Bawja Wednesday disclosed that national team will participate in the four-nation hockey tournament to be played in India in February 2009.

Talking to this scribe, Bajwa said that they have been trying to find maximum playing chances for the national team and are going to sign a long-term MoU with India Hockey Federation to play bilateral series. “I have confirmed the team’s participation in the tournament organised by the Indian Hockey Federation,” he added. Bajwa continued that the other teams featuring in the event are Germany, Holland, India and Pakistan. He detailed that PHF intended to play bilateral series for long-term basis as it was must to improve the standard of the game and bring the people in the grounds to watch the competitions between the two arch rivals.

Talking about the development of the game at the grassroots level in the country, Asif said that he has issued a notification to the provincial associations to hold inter-club competitions in each district till October 15 to find the national champion club that would be sent to Malaysia to participate in the Club Hockey Championship in November. To a question about the future series, the secretary PHF said that they are having talks with national hockey federations of China and Malaysia while he would hold talks with the German officials during his visit with the team next month and hoped that they would be successful to hold a four-nation tournament in Pakistan next year. Talking about his multidimensional hockey promotion programme, he said that it would bring revolution in reviving the lost glory of the game. “We have come up with a programme which aims at overhauling the existing hockey system at all levels and our main emphasis is to ensure a better future of hockey”, he said and added that such programme was never taken into consideration to pinpoint mistakes to revive the game. “Our team is today at No. 8 in world ranking, which was once a force to reckon with and our hockey is going through a turmoil and it is a sad situation which is alarming as well and demands extreme remedial measures from top to bottom”, he asserted. Bajwa, a former Olympian said the programme focuses not only on lifting the performance of national team, but also on addressing various problems being faced in the promotion of hockey. “We will be embarking upon a journey which is ambitious but challenging and are confident to produce good results in 2012 Olympics”, he said. “I know critics will say that we are targeting the next Olympics but it is not a mere getting good result in Olympics but to rejuvenate our hockey at grassroots level”, he maintained. Changing the existing hockey culture, the format of national tournaments, revival of school and club hockey, formation of a network of hockey grooming of coaches, academies across the country at 11 major centres, formation of various teams, holding of upgradation courses for technical officials and setting up a research and development wing under the supervision of a foreign coach are the highlights of the programme which is the brain child of Bajwa who is known as a diehard supporter of the game for his bold steps.

“The academies across the country will be under the supervision of the qualified coaches who will also be responsible for induction of talent besides grooming local coaches and we are confident that this process will enable us to identify talent to fill the void”, he maintained.