An all-Punjab hockey squad gives this Pakistan side a unique identity
› The sport is widely popular in the province and we have a legacy of supporting hockey. Punjab has always been a dominant force in Pakistan hockey. HASSAN SARDAR, former Pakistan hockey player
BHUBANESWAR: It might sound strange but the 18-member Pakistan hockey team competing at the World Cup here is from one province --- Punjab. For the first time in the 71-year history of the country’s hockey, their entire squad is from one province, while earlier Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad Capital Territory were adequately represented.
“Our entire team is from Punjab. The sport is widely popular in the province and we have a legacy of supporting hockey. Punjab has always been a dominant force Pakistan hockey but at the same time, we used to have players from Sindh, Pashtun belt, Islamabad too. But this is the first time the entire squad is from Punjab,” said former Pakistan hockey great Hassan Sardar, who is also the team manager..
When the division of Unified Punjab took place, the western part, including capital Lahore, went to Pakistan, while the eastern part became an Indian state. Punjab has always been a hockey powerhouse since the pre-Partition era and its dominance continues, on both sides, till now.
While all 18 members in the Pakistan squad are from Punjab, India has nine, including captain Manpreet Singh, in the World Cup squad.
“Hockey in this belt is part of culture and heritage. You can say, the sport is in the blood of people in the region,” says Olympic gold medallist Sardar.
It was the Punjab team that felt the impact of Partition the most. The last national champion of Undivided India, Punjab, were minus their captain AIS Dara, Anwar Beg Moghal, Mahmoodul Hasan Sheikh, Azizur Rehman Khan and brothers Shahrukh and Khurram, who stayed in Lahore during Partition.
Punjab won the national title in 1946. In March 1947, Unified Punjab participated in the nationals for the last time and expectedly defended the title, beating hosts Bombay . The team was led by 1936 Olympic gold medallist AIS Dara, who played in the 1948 London Olympics for Pakistan. The winner’s trophy for the nationals is in Lahore.
“Due to a good number of hockey academies and regular tournaments happening in the area, Punjab is ahead of other parts of Pakistan,” said Pakistan captain Rizwan Muhammad.