The Pakistan hockey team stands at a crucial juncture, with a chance to return to the big leagues after FIH’s Pro League invitation. However, with financial and administrative challenges muddying their chances, former heroes of the game are surprisingly turning to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for help.
Olympian and former national hockey team coach Tauqeer Dar became the latest person to plead for help from the cricket board’s head honcho. Speaking to Geo News, he emphasized the Pro League’s critical importance to the revival of Pakistan hockey.
“Let’s forget the government for a moment. I say Mohsin Naqvi should come forward and back hockey the way he has for cricket,” Dar stated. “The Pro League is our gateway to rejoin the world’s elite. Funding this opportunity is not an expense — it’s an investment in our sporting identity.”
The Pakistan hockey team has already pulled out of the Pro League once due to internal issues and financial constraints, a decision Dar still considers disastrous. “When we withdrew, India stepped in. Look where they are now — two Olympic bronze medals since,” he said.
Dar likened the importance of the Pro League to cricket’s Champions Trophy or World Cup, stressing that year-round exposure to the world’s best teams like the Netherlands and Belgium will only help Pakistani players grow. “We don’t expect them to learn from us — our players will learn from them, and that’s how we improve,” he said.
Former Olympian Khawaja Junaid and Pakistan hockey team head coach Tahir Zaman also echoed similar sentiments.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF)’s shortcomings have been laid bare by this episode. The government has already stepped in, and a decision to award PHF the required finances is being worked on behind the scenes.
PCB, meanwhile, remains the only self-sustaining sporting body in the country, and Mohsin Naqvi has the power to decide where to spend that moolah. Whether he will step in to help Pakistan hockey remains to be seen, but it is clear that the former players trust him more than their own kin.
With the window open and time running short, Pakistan hockey finally has a lifeline, but who will step up to turn this promising opportunity into a reality is still not clear. The legends of the game want it to be the PCB chairman, and the fans are waiting for an answer.
I pray for any miracle from Allah that pakistan should enter the hockey tournament