No Hockey Team in Tokyo Olympics Disappoints Pakistanis

The national sport of Pakistan is hockey yet its team hasn’t made to the biggest sports event and only 10 athletes are representing the country at Tokyo Olympics 2020.

History recalls Pakistan has won 3 gold medals in the field hockey tournaments in Olympic Games including one in Rome in 1960, Mexico City in 1968, and Los Angeles in 1984.

The event was inaugurated with a colorful opening ceremony in Japan’s capital Tokyo in which athletes from all over the world participated.

However, due to the lack of promotion of sports in the country and downgrading, Pakistan’s hockey team isn’t a part of the tournament this year.

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Several pictures and videos are circulating on social media where some showered their disappointment on non-inclusion of hockey team while others pointed out that few flag bearers were violating precautionary guidelines during the opening ceremony.

A Twitter user posted a photo from the event and recalled that Pakistan could not qualify for the hockey tournament and the flag was hoisted by players of other sports.

اولمپکس میں پاکستانی دستہ روایتی طور پر کپتان قومی ہاکی ٹیم کی قیادت میں افتتاحی تقریب میں شریک ہوتا تھا۔
آخری دو مقابلوں میں پاکستان ہاکی کے مقابلوں کیلئے کوالیفائی نہ کرسکا اور پاکستانی پرچم دیگر کھیلوں کے کھلاڑیوں نے اٹھایا۔
میڈل جیتے ہوئے تین عشرے بیت گئے ہیں#Olympics pic.twitter.com/8RLSqeEVsL

— Farhan Nisar (@farhanwrites) July 23, 2021

Besides being the world’s fifth-most populous country and having the world’s biggest hockey stadium in Lahore, Pakistan has opened the floodgates for the decline of the national game.

The current condition of hockey isn’t as bright as cricket as Pakistan has fallen to 18th spot in the latest FIH world rankings. 

Moreover, the hockey team has remained at rock bottom for the last several years and it has not qualified for the Olympics since 2012.

Pakistani athletes are competing in other fields including badminton, judo, shooting, swimming and weightlifting.