Pakistan

Tariq Kirmani, president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), has appealed to the hockey circles to stop criticising Pakistan junior hockey team for finishing seventh in the recently concluded Junior World Hockey Cup in Holland.

He said the PHF provided all the assistance in the team?s training and other logistics but the green shirts could not give the expected performance, which was indeed disappointing. ?Like all others, I have taken a serious view of the dismal performance of the junior team. I had a detailed discussion with the PHF secretary and have called for the detailed reports of the manager, the coaches and the chairman of the selection committee,? said the PHF chief in a statement on Tuesday.

He said upon receipt of the report, the issue would be analysed dispassionately to assess and evaluate the wrong and the wrong doers for affixing responsibility. After that appropriate steps would be initiated. ?All statements appearing at this stage in national media are premature and should be avoided by the hockey lovers as it would unnecessarily create confusion and controversies,? he maintained.

APP adds from Islamabad: The PHF will concurrently hold meetings of its advisory committee and general council next month to identify measures for improving the lot of hockey.

?These meetings will probably be held by the end of August to decide what remedial measures to take,? said PHF president Tariq Kirmani in an informal chat with reporters. ?We will take stock of the whole situation in our bid to identify weaknesses in the team and to redress the same,? said Kirmani. He stressed the need for a proper stock-taking of the whole scenario of international hockey, rather than finding individual scapegoats.

?Rather than going for the heads, we should dispassionately and collectively find the malaise afflicting our hockey and take remedial measures,? he said.

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