Will the 2026 FIH Men’s World Cup spur Pakistan hockey’s revival?

The odds aren’t stacked in their favour, but the Pakistan hockey team head into the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 with renewed energy and a belief that they can help push the national sport towards a new chapter, if not completely revive it.

That belief may seem difficult to justify for a team that has been among the tournament’s poorest performers since 2010, despite remaining the World Cup’s most successful side with four titles.

Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, finished 12th in 2018 and missed the 2023 edition altogether.

Ranked 12^th in the FIH rankings, the Men in Green are placed in Pool D alongside side the third-ranked England, eighth ranked India and 15^th ranked Wales in the upcoming World Cup taking place in Netherlands and Belgium from 15-30 August.

But this time around, there is some positivity, self-belief and a desire to show that our national sport still has the firepower to defy the odds and do better, if given greater attention and state support.

But the question is: how and when did this sudden shift happen, including the hiring of top foreign coaches, and well-known companies stepping in to sponsor the national team?

The Pro League effect

For the unversed, what we see in Pakistan hockey is all due to their participation in the nine-team FIH Pro League 2025-26 edition.

For a nation like Pakistan, hardly playing against top teams, with the majority of the players not even playing in top leagues in Europe, to be able to play 16 matches, and that too against teams like Germany, Australia, Netherlands, and others was a significant opportunity.

It wasn’t just the fact that they played twice against those teams, but also got the opportunity to play in different cities, like London, Valencia, Hobart, Wavre and Buenos Aires.

Yes, they lost all 16 matches and were relegated to the FIH Nations League, but it gave Pakistan hockey much-needed exposure, which eventually led to a reflection of their skill set, talent and potential.

They showed grit and potential, with the attacking line comprising Sufyan Khan, Rana Waheed and Abu Bakar Mahmood showing their prowess, as they scored five goals each.

The biggest problem that occurred was the weakness in the defense line, as they failed to navigate the opponents’ rapid attacks and circle penetration.

The Hobart saga

They say fortunes favors the brave; the quick-fixated and sudden administrate measure we have seen in the recent months are due to the stand taken by the then national team captain Ammad Butt.

In the middle of February, when the Green Shirts travelled to Hobart, the team encountered serious problems with accommodation and other logistical arrangements, raising fresh concerns over how the national side was being managed.

According to officials, no hotel bookings or food arrangements had been made by the PHF.

The team waited for nearly three hours in the lobby of the hotel before being informed that their booking had been cancelled due to non-payment. PHF officials later conveyed that no funds were available to confirm the booking.

The brave, I say, was Ammad, who took a blunt stand, spoke for his team’s rights and brought the players’ grievances into the spotlight.

“The players had to prepare their breakfast, do dishwashing and wash clothes. In this situation what kind of performance could a player produce for the team?," Butt had said.

The Hobart episode triggered a major crisis within Pakistan hockey, eventually leading to Tariq Bugti’s resignation as PHF president on February 20, with Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani appointed as the federation’s ad hoc president.

Positive developments under Wani

Since taking charge, Wani’s administration has moved on several fronts. Pakistan secured their first World Cup berth in eight years, with Wani announcing a PKR 30 million reward for the team following qualification.

He later said PHF funds had increased to PKR 400 million, with PKR 110 million spent on players over a three-month period, while also promising international exposure for the U18 and U21 teams.

The federation has also announced plans to introduce hockey activities in 1,000 schools across Pakistan, targeting boys and girls aged 10 to 12, alongside trials and overseas opportunities for the U18 and U21 sides, including a tour of Oman for the U21 team.

The PHF brought in an international coaching and high-performance team in July, led by Dutchman Herman Kruis, with David Dwyer looking after fitness and high performance, Bob Johan Veldhof focusing on goalkeeping, Adnan Zakir working on junior talent identification and Chris Bowen brought in as a sports psychologist.

Since then, the staff has trained the players on modern methods both in terms of game-play improvement as well as attaining the international fitness standards.

The World Cup campaign

Pakistan kick off their World Cup campaign against England on August 15, followed by Wales on August 17 and arch-rivals India on August 19, with the top two teams from Pool D advancing to the next phase.

Now the question is: will the Abu Bakar-led side punch above their weight, and how far can they go to at least kick-start a new chapter of revival and hope for hockey in a country dominated by cricket?