JAKARTA: Pakistan’s medal tally in 15 hockey tournaments of the Asian Games is eight gold, three silver and three bronze – hockey was not included in the first two Asiads, in 1951 and 1954. From 1958 to 1990, Pakistan claimed seven gold and two silver in nine consecutive Asian Games, a remarkable sequence. This included four consecutive golds from 1970 to 1982. But in the next four Asian Games, Pakistan failed to reach even the final. In 1994, 1998 and 2006, Pakistan were third. In 2002 Pakistan failed to climb on to the podium, losing to Malaysia in the bronze medal play-off. In 2010, the Green-shirts regained the gold after 20 years. The first place also gave them an automatic qualification for the 2012 Olympics.
At the last Asian Games, in 2014, Pakistan again managed to reach the final where they met India. Pakistan had defeated India in the pool match. The final was an exciting game between the two traditional rivals. It was 1-1 after the regular time. However, Pakistan went down in the shootout. Thus, they lost the chance to get an automatic qualification for the Olympics. Eventually, Pakistan failed to qualify for the Olympics – for the first time ever. This year again, along with the coveted gold there is the added incentive of direct 2020 Olympics qualification. Pakistan’s highest tally in a single tournament is 42 goals in 1990 – with five goals against. Pakistan’s biggest victory is 17-0 against Bangladesh in 1978 which is also the Asian Games record.
Published in Daily Times, August 18th 2018.