Pakistan to host FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers
Sports
Pakistan to host FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers
(Web Desk) – Pakistan hosted an FIH event in 2004 and is all set to host eight teams from January 13 to 24 next year in Lahore once more. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has allocated the Olympic qualifying rounds to the country alongside Chain and Spain.
Haider Hussain, the Secretary-General of the FIH, said, "Pakistani hockey fans have been deprived of seeing international hockey stars at home for 20 years now, and the FIH Olympic qualifiers will no doubt boost the sport in Pakistan again."
The Pakistan Hockey Federation is the organisation to praise for this news. The Federation managed to successfully persuade the FIH to allocate the event to Pakistan the early next year after a good deal of lobbying.
Pakistan believes that the qualifying rounds will help boost the game once more in the nation. The current setback with the team's inability to qualify for the last two Olympic games (2016 and 2020) is something the nation wishes to come back from as soon as possible.
The current format of field hockey qualifiers at the Paris Olympics 2024 is as follows—Five from Asia, seven from Europe, two from the Americas, one from Africa, and one from Oceania.
Olympics 2024 will be held in Paris. The three best teams from each Olympic qualification tournament will go to Paris to fight for the gold.
As a host country, Pakistan will be eligible to compete in the qualifying round regardless of whether they win or fail the Asian Games. Pakistan has strong contenders in the Asian Games, including Korea, China, India, Malaysia, and Japan.
The entire nation is wishing for the skills like in the old days. And there's a good chance that Pakistan will make history this time in the Olympics—With fresh enthusiasm and fantastic gameplay.
This time, we strongly hope that we will get to see some intense action. It's been a while since we had a historic fight between two teams or known players in field hockey. For example, in ice hockey, the biggest fights in NHL in history span decades and have enthralled fans consistently. In contrast, field hockey has always been a little behind in giving us iconic matches and team rivalries to look forward to.
For example, we’re all a big fan of the 1992 bout between Bob Probert and Tie Domi. This clash of the titans between the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers was a great display of the performance of both players, which ultimately culminated in almost a whole minute of spectacular action in front of a crazy New York crowd.
The Olympic crowds are different—But we do believe that our players can create such exceptional plays on the field.
While the men's qualifiers are going to take place in Lahore, Pakistan, and Valencia, Spain, the women's hockey qualifiers will be taking place in Changzhou, China, and Valencia, Spain. FIH will invite teams that win continental championships throughout 2023 for Paris 2024.
Apart from the Asian Games, the other continental championships include African Hockey Road to Paris, Pan American Games, EuroHockey Championship, and the Oceania Cup.
Pakistan's Hockey Legacy
Pakistan hockey is not in good form right now. The three-time world champions have already missed the chance to play in the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023. It's the first time that a total of sixteen countries are contesting the Hockey World Cup, up from the generally accepted twelve so far.
For a team with a world rank of 16 to miss, such international action is truly unfortunate. The country's hockey team has a rich and storied history in hockey, and every country considers the team a formidable force in the sport.
Pakistan's strong tradition of success in the Olympic Games cannot be overstated. The Pakistan national hockey team won the gold in the Olympics in 1960, 1968, and 1984. They have also bagged numerous silver and bronze medals.
As for the World Cup, the Pakistan team has performed remarkably well and, more importantly, consistently. They have won the tournament four times—1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994.
Victories in both the Olympics and the Men's Hockey World Cup show Pakistan's historical prowess and excellence in the sport. The country has also dominated the Asian Games and the Champions Trophy.
However, recent years have not been very good for the Pakistan men's hockey team. While the country has enjoyed tremendous success in the past, the recent performance has declined compared to the previous dominance on almost all benchmarks.
Many reasons or factors are contributing to this decline. For example, the sport itself has changed a little, there's increased competition, and Pakistan's challenges with infrastructure, youth programs, and inflation have all had a detrimental effect.
However, renewed enthusiasm for the sport, as well as the hosting of the qualifiers, will be a much-needed boost for the nation. Hopefully, it will begin a chain reaction that helps the team make a comeback to the world stage. Pakistan has the skill and talent to make it big internationally once more, but it will take time and patience.
More importantly, it will take effort from all sides—The players, the fans, the sports organisations, and the government.
In Conclusion
The fact that Pakistan is hosting the qualifiers for the Olympics hockey group stage is not a mere fact or sports anecdote. It's a statement by a country looking to renew its people's enthusiasm for the sport and reclaim its legendary form.
We're sure that by replenishing its interest in the sport and challenging the biggest contenders in the space, Pakistan will once again reclaim its old glory. The team is prepared mentally and physically for any challenge.
Here's the full schedule for hockey at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
