Pakistan Olympic Association

KARACHI: Pakistan should lobby for the establishment of a Nur Khan international hockey tournament as a tribute to the legendary former national hockey boss, who passed away last week, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi said on Tuesday.

Abbasi, a former Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president, told ‘The News’ in an interview that if a new international hockey tournament is not possible then the PHF chiefs should convince the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to rename the elite Champions Trophy as the Nur Khan Champions Trophy.

“International hockey is what it is today because of the legendary Nur Khan,” stressed Abbasi. “He was the man who paved the path for the Hockey World Cup. He was the man who gave hockey the Champions Trophy. The world of hockey should acknowledge his contributions to the game,” he added.

Air Marshal Nur Khan, who passed away at the age of 88 following a brief illness last week, is universally regarded as the most successful administrator in the history of Pakistan sports. He was at the helm of hockey, cricket and squash affairs during what was a glorious period in Pakistan sports back in the seventies and eighties.

He served as PHF President and founded the Hockey Champions Trophy, which is now regarded as the third most prestigious event in world hockey after the World Cup and Olympic Games.

“PHF officials should float the idea of having a Nur Khan international hockey tournament and after doing that Pakistan should host its inaugural tournament,” said Abbasi.

However, Qasim Zia, the current PHF president, doesn’t sound really optimistic about the idea. While welcoming Abbasi’s suggestion, Qasim made it clear that because of a hectic international hockey calendar, it won’t be easy to install a new tournament.

“All of us are well aware of the enormous contributions made for world hockey by Air Marshal Nur Khan,” Qasim, a former Olympian, told ‘The News’.

“It will be great to have an international tournament as a tribute to him but I must say that it won’t be easy to make it happen because of what is a very hectic international schedule these days,” he added. But Abbasi is of the view that the international hockey community will give an all out support to the PHF if it initiates a project dedicated to Nur Khan.

“The world of hockey is aware of the contributions made by Nur Khan for the sport. The role he played for international hockey is unmatched and I’m sure that the hockey world will love to be a part of a project that is dedicated to that great man,” said Abbasi.

Qasim Zia, meanwhile, promised that the PHF will discuss the idea with the FIH chiefs. “We will certainly discuss the idea of having a tournament named after him (Nur Khan) with the FIH,” he said.

The handicap being faced by Qasim and Co is that Pakistan currently doesn’t really have the sort of status in world hockey which it enjoyed during the illustrious era of Nur Khan.

Back then, Pakistan was the world’s best hockey team and used to ride roughshod over its rivals. Currently, Pakistan are ranked at number nine in the world and only featured in the 2011 Champions Trophy in New Zealand earlier this month after the FIH raised the number of teams from six to eight.