By all means, celebrate finishing second at the FIH Nations Cup. But don’t forget the financial rot, leadership crisis, and broken system that still threatens Pakistan hockey’s future.
In Malaysia this past June, the Pakistan men’s hockey team offered a rare glimmer of hope. Competing at the FIH Nations Cup, the green shirts fought hard, won a dramatic semi-final, and finished second overall — their best international showing in years.
But let’s not kid ourselves.
This was not a revival. Not yet. It was a brief moment of encouragement, perhaps the first in a long time, but far from a return to hockey’s global elite. Beneath the surface of this semi-success lies a story of dysfunction, mismanagement, and missed opportunity that continues to rot the foundation of Pakistan’s national sport.
The Nations Cup Gave Hope — But Not Much More
The FIH Nations Cup, introduced in 2022, serves as the qualification pathway to the FIH Pro League, the elite competition featuring the world’s top nine national teams. Pakistan Hockey (currently ranked 15th) played five matches at the tournament:
- Won: 1 (vs Japan, ranked 18th)
- Lost: 2 (both against New Zealand, ranked 9th)
- Drew: 2 (against France and Malaysia)
Technically, the semi-final win against France came via a shoot-out — which counts as a draw on paper. Only one official win, then, yet a spot in the final.
Encouraging? Yes. Outstanding? No.
The Real Game Was Being Played Off the Field
As the team battled on the pitch, they were also fighting a different kind of battle behind the scenes: one of unpaid daily allowances, poor preparation conditions, and a federation that had failed to provide even the bare minimum.
Captain Ammad Butt publicly protested mid-tournament over non-payment of dues — not just for the Nations Cup, but for recent training camps as well. Shockingly, even the coaching staff and officials hadn’t been paid.
The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) fired back, with its Director General Yasir Peerzada saying the Board had released PKR 9 million upon the PHF’s request. The federation, he claimed, had told them it had enough money. So where did the funds go?
That’s a question the PHF doesn’t seem eager to answer.
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New Zealand’s Exit Could Open the Door
Here’s the twist in this tale. Nations Cup champions New Zealand are facing a financial crisis and may withdraw from the upcoming FIH Pro League. If that happens, the runner-up — Pakistan Hockey — may receive an invitation to replace them.
The FIH hasn’t made a formal offer yet, but it’s likely that informal inquiries have been made. That sets the stage for a possible return to international mainstream hockey — a chance Pakistan Hockey hasn’t had in years.
But there’s one towering obstacle: money.
According to PHF Secretary-General Rana Mujahid, participation in the Pro League would require a whopping USD 2.5 million. The federation doesn’t have it, and worse — they’ve lost the moral authority to even ask for it.
Same Faces, Same Failures
This brings us to the core problem: leadership.
The PHF today is essentially run by two individuals:
- President Tariq Bugti, appointed not for his sporting credentials, but as a political favor by caretaker PM Anwarul Haq Kakar.
- Secretary-General Rana Mujahid, in his second controversial tenure.
Bugti lacks sports experience and has failed to attract sponsors. Mujahid, meanwhile, has a legacy of failure: it was under his previous watch that Pakistan Hockey missed out on Olympic qualification for the first time in history. It happened again during his current stint. And yes, there are corruption allegations against him.
Ironically, Bugti had initially written to the federal ministry asking to bar Mujahid from traveling abroad due to alleged financial misconduct. Today, they’re working side by side.
A Way Forward: Tauqeer Dar and the Model That Works
If Pakistan Hockey is to rise again, these two men must go — and they must be replaced with competent, credible individuals who know the game and how to manage it.
One such person is Tauqeer Dar, a 1984 Olympic gold medallist who has spent the last two decades building a grassroots hockey academy in Lahore. His Dar Hockey Academy recruits young players from across the country and provides them free boarding, education, coaching — and hope.
Dar’s model is built on private sponsorships, corporate partnerships, and trust. Without any support from the PHF or government, his academy has produced dozens of players for the national circuit.
He ticks all the boxes — and crucially, he understands that leadership is a team effort. Dar has reportedly said he would consider the secretary-general role only if a capable, corporate-savvy president were also appointed. He could bring in such a figure from the business world.
The Stakes of Pro League Participation
Even if Pakistan Hockey makes it to the Pro League, the challenges remain huge. Ranked 15th, the team would be the lowest seed — a potential punching bag for the top teams.
But that’s not a given. With the right support staff and serious preparation, Pakistan Hockey could compete, not just participate.
- Tahir Zaman, the current head coach, is one of the most respected minds in Pakistan Hockey.
- Salman Akbar, former goalkeeper and current coach in the Netherlands, can modernize our defense.
- Sohail Abbas, the world’s most lethal drag flicker, could transform the penalty corner unit.
Together, with experience, match exposure, and proper fitness regimens, Pakistan Hockey can target a 6th to 8th place finish in its Pro League debut — which would mean avoiding relegation.
But It All Starts at the Top
Here’s the painful truth: no amount of talent or passion can compensate for bad leadership. If the current PHF setup continues, sponsors will stay away, fans will drift further, and players will be left to fend for themselves — again.
If, however, the government intervenes now and replaces the current leadership with a team led by Tauqeer Dar and a credible president, Pakistan Hockey could see a true revival.
Pro League participation would then be not just a moment of hope — but the beginning of a turnaround.
Pakistanis are generous. They’ve always supported honest effort and transparent systems. With the right people in charge, the funds will come, the sponsors will follow, and the players will deliver.
All it takes is the courage to fix the top — and the vision to dream again
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