PHF chief blasts team after hockey debacle at Olympics

Beijing, Aug 19 (UNI): Expressing his disappointment at the national team’s failure to qualify for the Olympic semifinals,an irked Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Asif Bajwa today blamed the players and the team management for the debacle.

Pakistan lost their Pool A match to Netherlands 2-4 to crash out of the Olympics.

“I am absolutely disappointed with the performance of Pakistan team. They failed to deliver in any department of the game,” Bajwa told media persons after the match.

“It was a bunch of individuals and they badly failed to play as a team. This was main cause and the reason of their downfall.”

Expressing his disappointment at the performance of the senior players he said, “Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Adnan Maqsood, Mohammad Saqlain, Salman Akbar, all failed to live up to the expectations.

“All of them are experienced players but failed the test despite playing in their second Olympics.”

The former Olympian urged the players to focus on teamwork which is essential in a game like hockey.

Individual excellence is nothing in a team sport and players badly failed to come up to the nation’s expectations. PHF fully facilitated the players in every area of the game but end result was zero,” he stated.

“It is scoring the goals which matters and not agility speed, dribble and individual excellence. It was a bunch of individuals and they badly failed to play as team. This was main cause and the reason of their downfall,” he added.

Bajwa informed that he was thinking of bringing in a foreign coach and would take a decision after the Games.