Revival of Pakistan hockey: Country's cricket chief promises complete support

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, expressed shock upon learning that hockey in Pakistan has been operating without a proper development structure for decades.

This revelation came during a meeting with former Pakistan hockey captain Shehbaz Senior, who informed Naqvi that the national game had lacked a system for 40 years and was not a state priority.

Naqvi assured Shehbaz that he would arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss efforts to elevate the standard of hockey. Shehbaz was accompanied by Khwaja Junaid at the meeting.

Pakistan hockey is currently facing one of its most challenging periods. Despite a glorious history of three Olympic golds and four World Cup titles, the team now ranks 15th in the FIH rankings. It has missed recent editions of both the Olympics and World Cups and is struggling even at the Asian level.

Pakistan's last notable achievement in hockey was winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Since then, the sport has been in decline, compounded by financial struggles that have made it difficult for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to consistently provide daily allowances to players.

A PCB press release highlighted that Shehbaz and Khwaja Junaid discussed various issues with Naqvi.

They praised his swift actions to improve Pakistan's cricket structure and urged similar attention toward hockey.

Naqvi assured them of full support, acknowledging hockey's status as Pakistan's national sport and emphasizing its rich legacy. He promised to cooperate in restoring the sport to its former glory.

During the meeting, Khwaja Junaid briefed Naqvi about upcoming visits by German and Dutch hockey clubs, as well as a scheduled tour of Pakistan by Germany's junior national hockey team in March.

Naqvi, who also serves as the country's interior minister, guaranteed stringent security measures for these international tours.