22-Feb-2012
The News
KARACHI: When Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had decided to set up academies at grass roots level across the country about two years ago, the decision was applauded in hockey circles, but now two of the three academies set up in Sindh have closed shop.
Hockey buffs had expected that these academies would be the lifeline and backbone of Pakistan hockey as players from 12 to 16 years of age were to be trained at them. Three academies were established in Sindh: two in Karachi and one in Hyderabad. Now only one academy, at UBL sports complex, is operational.
The two other academies, one in Karachi at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) and the other in Hyderabad, have been closed down, after running for more than one year. The academy at HCP was closed when Karachi was in the grip of ethnic and sectarian tension. Frightened parents avoided sending their children to far-flung areas to play hockey. Since then the hockey academy at HCP has remained closed. Informed sources told ‘The News’ that PHF is once again trying to start the academy with some concrete measures. The HCP academy was being run under the supervision of former international player Asif Ahmed. Olympian Anees Ahmed and Safdar Abbas were the other coaches. Anees Ahmed had resigned before the closure due to his personal engagements, sources said.
The sources in the PHF said that the HCP academy ran for one and a half years successfully, but when law and order situation in the city deteriorated parents stopped sending their children because they were coming from far away areas such as North Nazimabad, Shah Faisal Colony, Landhi and Malir. It was difficult for students to attend their schools and come to the academy owing to incidents of terrorism in the city, and then go back to their homes.
Thus, the number of players coming to the academy gradually declined, which compelled the authorities to close the academy. After the law and order situation had improved, delay occurred because of the two hockey Test matches between China and Pakistan and the national hockey championship. But sources confirmed that PHF is keen to reactivate the academy. Soon the new schedule of the academy at HCP will be announced.
The academy at UBL sports complex where Olympian Jan Muhammad is the head coach is running smoothly. During the last two years, six of its players crossed the age of 16. Jan Muhammad told ‘The News’ that he would request the PHF to select a batch of another six players as replacement.
He too is dejected because of the poor law and order situation of the city. He said parents are reluctant to send their children to far away places to play hockey, which has affected the progress of academies.
Whenever there is trouble in the city, mobile bells start ringing because parents are worried about the safety of their children, Jan Muhammad said. He forcefully denied the rumours that the stipend of Rs1000 per month for each participating player was not being paid or delayed. “As far as my academy is concerned all players are being paid their monthly stipend regularly and I have maintained all record in this regard,” he added.
He further said that three boys from the academy were selected for PHF academy team, which participated in the national hockey championship. The Hyderabad academy, where Abdul Gafoor was the head coach, did not perform well during the PHF Inter Hockey Tournament last year and stood at the bottom, which induced the PHF authorities to close the academy, sources said.
But they said comparing the players of Hyderabad academy with those of big cities was unjust. They added that financial constraints were behind the closure of the academy. Hyderabad academy was also covering other districts of the province. Three players of the academy were selected for the national junior under-18 camp last year, which showed that the academy was successful, they said.
After just one year of training, the inexperienced boys of Hyderabad and other parts of the province cannot reach the standard of teams of big cities like Lahore, Karachi and Sialkot where hockey is already established, they added. |
