Cricket is no longer the only sport in Pakistan where off-field issues take precedence over the actual matches. However, that is where the similarities between Pakistan Hockey and cricket end. Our cricketers would never suffer the ignominy of being left in a foreign country without proper travel and accommodation arrangements. This is exactly what happened to the field hockey players who went to Australia for the FIH Pro League. The reports of just how bad it got for the Pakistani players are truly shocking, with the national hockey captain alleging that players were forced to do menial labour before heading to the field. Reports also surfaced on social media showing Pakistan’s national hockey players stranded for nearly 18 hours on the streets in Australia, apparently waiting for a connecting flight to Hobart during the second leg of the league, which began on February 10. Other reports claim that initial hotel bookings were cancelled due to non-payment and alternative arrangements were eventually required which resulted in four to five players sharing a room and the bookings not covering the full duration of the stay.
The team management also appears to have relied on the local Pakistani community for accommodation and meals. The cause for this abysmal outcome appears to be a financial-administrative kerfuffle between the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Hockey Federation, with both now trading blame for the mismanagement. The president of the latter has now stepped down and an inquiry whose report has been sent to the prime minister has found the PHF and its president responsible. However, this is a broader issue too. This is, after all, not the first time a sports organisation and its leader (s) have displayed rank incompetence and the problem clearly appears to be systemic. It appears far too easy for unfit individuals to land themselves in major roles in Pakistan’s sporting scene. And there is also no getting around the fact that every sport in the country, other than cricket, appears to be suffering from chronic neglect. The hockey team, understandably, lost all its games in Australia, and the captain says the team can no longer work under the current management, with World Cup qualification right around the corner.
No matter how much chaos there has been in Pakistan Cricket over the years, mismanagement of this kind has yet to be seen. Given that other sports usually do not provide major financial benefits to players, the least one can expect is that athletes are properly cared for by their respective federations. That this is not the case is worrying for those who want the country to have a more diverse and vibrant sporting landscape. There is also a way in which this latest hockey scandal is emblematic of the country itself. The parallels between hockey players allegedly being left stranded on the streets and the fate that awaits many of our poor migrants abroad is unmistakable. Indeed, it mirrors how many Pakistanis are treated in general. In this country, those who are not bringing in the cash right now are left utterly without help and support, even if they are representing the country in its official national sport. The vision to see that something that does not make money today could, with the right help, do so tomorrow is seemingly absent.
