When A Hockey Team Is Left To Wash Dishes – What Are We Really Building?
When A Hockey Team Is Left To Wash Dishes – What Are We Really Building?
By Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
There was a time when Pakistan hockey was feared. Not respected — feared. Four World Cups. Olympic gold. Asian dominance. Skill, artistry, speed.
Today, we are reading headlines about unpaid hotel bills, cancelled bookings, players stranded at airports, and athletes washing dishes before stepping onto the field in the FIH Pro League.
Pause for a moment. Forget the scoreline. Forget Australia’s dominance. Forget Germany’s structure.
Ask a deeper question.
How do you expect elite performance from players who don’t even know where they are sleeping?
After a 24-hour journey from Lahore, players reportedly stood on the roads in Canberra because hotel bookings were not honoured. Funds were said to be released. Payments were said to be handled. Yet the rooms were not there.
What exactly broke down?
Is it mismanagement? Is it incompetence? Is it ego? Is it lack of oversight? Is it financial leakage? Or is it simply that sport is not a priority?
To The Fans
You celebrate victories. You cry when Pakistan loses. You debate tactics. You question coaching.
But did you ask where your team was sleeping the night before the match?
Did you ask whether players received daily allowances? Did you ask whether administrators travelled business class while players shared cramped rooms? Did you ask whether systems are audited?
Or do we only show emotion when India is on the other side?
To The Players
You wear the green jersey with pride. You carry the weight of history. You fight despite chaos.
But how long can passion survive without structure?
When you are warned not to speak. When you are threatened with disciplinary action. When you must focus on survival instead of strategy.
Are you competing — or are you enduring?
To The Officials
A team can only play its best with the right support. This is not theory. This is sport science. This is psychology. This is management.
If logistics collapse, performance collapses.
Were we prepared for this tour? Were contingency plans in place? Was cash flow secured? Was accountability clear?
Or did we travel hoping things would “work out”?
And here is the uncomfortable question:
Was participation about preparation — or about ego?
When India is competing, do we feel compelled to show up regardless of readiness? When New Zealand pulled out of certain commitments citing scheduling and resource strain, did we interpret it as weakness? Or was it strategic prioritisation?
Is knowing when NOT to compete sometimes the mark of maturity?
Did we step in prepared to win — or step in prepared to struggle?
If you enter a Pro League without financial stability, without structured management, without psychological security for players —
Is that ambition? Or is that planned failure?
Nation Building Or Noise?
Governments allocate billions to defence. Political debates dominate headlines. Rhetoric fills television screens.
But sport builds unity faster than speeches. Sport dissolves racial lines. Sport gives youth direction. Sport creates heroes without religion attached.
Are we investing in unity — or investing in division?
Is hockey still treated as a national sport — or as an afterthought?
Do we want to relive past glory — or are we willing to rebuild systems from scratch?
Foreign coach? Professional CEO? Transparent auditing? Independent oversight? Grassroots academies? Corporate partnerships?
Where is the blueprint? Where is the measurable KPI? Where is the accountability timeline?
A Hard Truth
Talent is not Pakistan’s problem. History is not Pakistan’s problem. Skill is not Pakistan’s problem.
Governance is. Structure is. Priorities are.
You cannot humiliate players administratively and expect them to produce magic tactically.
You cannot run a federation on emotion. You cannot build a future on ego.
The real question is not whether Pakistan lost to Australia. The real question is:
What kind of nation are we building when our athletes must worry about dishes instead of discipline?
If we want respect internationally, we must first show respect internally.
Because a jersey is sacred. And those who wear it deserve more than chaos.
And What About Us In Malaysia?
Before we point fingers at Pakistan, let us pause. Let us reflect. Let us look into our own mirror.
Malaysia too was once feared in Asian hockey. Olympic appearances. World Cup battles. Asian Games podium finishes. Speedy Tigers that roared.
Are we building upward — or are we surviving season to season?
We talk about rankings. We debate coaches. We argue selections. We question captains.
But have we built the foundation strong enough?
We Need Support — Real Support
A national team does not magically improve. It is the final product of a system. Grassroots. School leagues. State leagues. High-performance programs. Sports science. Data analysis. Recovery protocols.
Do we have enough quality competitions at Under-14, Under-16, Under-18 levels? Or are we relying on short tournaments and one-off exposure?
How many high-intensity matches does a 17-year-old Malaysian player play per year? Compare that to Australia. Compare that to Germany. Compare that to the Netherlands.
Are we developing match temperament — or just training drills?
Better Coaching Systems
Coaches are the backbone. Not just national coaches. But school coaches. Club coaches. State development officers.
How many of our grassroots coaches are certified at international standard? How many attend continuous development programs? How many are evaluated by KPI and performance metrics?
Do we have a structured coaching pathway? Or do we rely on passion and volunteerism?
Passion is powerful. But structure sustains.
Blueprint With Larger Outreach
If we want depth, we must widen the base.
Are we reaching rural schools? Are we tapping into non-traditional hockey states? Are we building synthetic pitches beyond major cities? Are corporate bodies incentivised to adopt districts?
How many children are in our hockey database nationally? 5,000? 10,000? Or should it be 50,000?
Without numbers, there is no elite. Without scale, there is no dominance.
Higher Quality Games
Training alone does not create champions. Competition does.
Do our juniors face international teams regularly? Do we send them abroad early enough? Are they exposed to European tempo? Australian structure? German discipline?
Or do we celebrate small regional wins and believe we have arrived?
Exposure builds maturity. Frequent high-level matches build composure.
Money, Time, Build-Up
Let us be honest. None of this comes free.
Synthetic pitches cost millions. Foreign expertise costs money. Sports science teams cost money. International tours cost money.
Are we ready to treat hockey as an investment — not an expense?
Transformation takes 4 to 8 years. Not 6 months. Not one tournament cycle.
Do we have patience? Or do we change direction every time we lose?
Hard Questions For Malaysia
Do we truly want to be top 8 in the world? Or do we just want moments of glory?
Are we building a sustainable ecosystem? Or are we patching holes every season?
Are we aligned between Ministry, Federation, States, Schools, Clubs and Corporates? Or are we operating in silos?
Do we audit performance — or only celebrate participation?
The Truth
Pakistan’s situation is a warning. Not a mockery. Not a criticism. A warning.
When governance weakens, performance collapses. When systems are ignored, talent fades. When priorities shift away from sport, pride diminishes.
Malaysia must not wait until our players are stranded abroad before we ask these questions.
If we want champions, we must build systems. If we want systems, we must invest. If we invest, we must commit long term.
Because a team can only play its best when the nation plays its part.
Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
Player. Observer of Systems.
Believer that sport builds nations stronger than slogans ever will.
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