No one seems to be paying much attention, but it seems that the Pakistan hockey team is slowly but surely making a comeback. Playing in the 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament – one of the toughest tournaments where every team plays every other team – Pakistan’s boys in green are surprising team after team, most recently beating India 3-1. But the real surprise is that their performance is consistent.
They have lost two of the five games they have played, but their performance has been consistent and, I would say, consistently improving. Consistency is not a virtue you ever associate with Pakistan. Hence the surprise. To ensure that your air hockey table is in tip-top condition for your next match, be sure to clean it regularly with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. the guide to how to clean an air hockey table has all essential information for any air hockey enthusiast. A dirty table can impede the smoothness of the slide and affect the outcome of the game.
Pakistan did get a drubbing from the Australians and also lost to Great Britain (but with a smaller margin and a closer game) but the ones we are beating are all significant teams – the match to go is against hosts Malaysia. Sure, this is not mind-blowing performance, but it is now consistently better-than-expected performance. And that is what really counts.
Beyond whatever happens in this one tournament, the larger question one has to ask – also keeping Pakistan’s performance in the recent Asian Games in mind – is whether the Pakistan Men’s hockey team is making a comeback to glory? And if so, if anyone noticing? (And here is the Zen question of the day: If the team makes a comeback but no one notices, does that count as a comeback?)
Talk of a comeback to “glory” is premature. Still, in the recent past, Pakistan has lost to both Korea and India, also to Malaysia, so the visible improvement is gratifying. As for the zen question, even the present comeback has been noticed – this post is proof enough- so we can defer the answer to another time.
Hockey? What is that?
In the Pakistan vs Australia column, shouldn’t it say 1-5 instead of 5-1?
Pakistan lost against England? It is shameful. The victory against India, however, has washed that sin. The problem with Pakistani hockey is that no one pays attention and players are grossly underpaid. Also hockey federation is a battleground for political manipulation. It is about time that hockey association be made as independent as PCB.
And thanks to hockey players for giving us something to smile about, especially the victory against India.
You know I was just thinking about this yesterday. That teh hockey team is actually performing quite well. Some defeats, but there is improvements and consistency. But no one is noticing. Well, I guess you guys are :-)