Merit violation cause of Beijing hockey debacle

ISLAMABAD - The probe committee formed to investigate Pakistan's poor show in Beijing Olympic Wednesday recommended that Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who was the president of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on that time, and his whole team members should not be given any post in hockey in future.
Head of the committee, Rana Farooq Saeed told reporters in a press briefing here at Ministry of Sports, Pakistan Sports Complex after two-day committee meeting that recommendations would be implemented very soon. Other members of the committee, former Olympians Abdul Waheed and Shahbaz Ahmed Senior also present on this occasion.
Committee suggested that a think-tank should be established for looking after the affairs of hockey in the country; however, former Olympians should be the part of this think-tank.
"There should not any connection of this think-tank with the PHF management. We also suggested that no army man or politician should be the head of federation except former Olympian. Committee also recommended for PHF's audit," said Farooq Saeed.
"The committee finalised the report after listening the relevant persons including all the members of national hockey team at Karachi and Lahore. We got the views from all the office bearers of PHF and former hockey dignities including Akhtar-ul-Islam, Salahuddin, Zakauddin, Khalid Mehmood, Naveed Alam and Asif Bajwa, "he added.
Rana Farooq further said that the committee agreed that the selection of the national hockey team for the mega event of the world was not on merit. "There was influence of top officials in selection of green shirts. The officials were also not capable of managing the team for competition. Coach Naveed Alam was not knowledgeable coach," he maintained.
Committee also hinted out that there was not coordination among the players and team had no strategy for the competition. "Players were also not hundred percent physically fit to counter top teams. Each player was trying to display his individual game," Rana Farooq said.
Responding to a question, head of the committee said that committee also presented its proposals for boosting the game of hockey and to streamline the affairs of PHF. "Hockey should be revived at school, collage and university level. All national departments should establish their hockey teams and the players should be given jobs in these organisations. Admission quota for hockey players should also be introduced in all government and civil education institutions," the committee said in report.
He said that the report would be submitted to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Ministry of Sports and recommendations would be executed soon. "We got opinion from all the relevant persons and completed the given task honestly,"he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Sports formed the probe committee after poor show of national hockey team in the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 in which Pakistan claimed 8th position, as 12 teams were competing for the gold medal. Ministry of Sports appointed a three-member committee examine the hockey debacle in quadrennial event of the world.