Pakistan’s great fall: How former hockey giant failed Olympics test, again

What caused downfall of one of the most successful hockey-playing nations, and is there a plan to reclaim lost glory?

Islamabad, Pakistan – The clock was ticking away, and only eight minutes remained for the Pakistani hockey team to break an embarrassing pattern of decline in a sport it dominated for decades.

But New Zealand forward Hugo Inglis equalised the score in their qualifying match in Oman in January. Then, with just two minutes left for the final whistle, Scott Boyde made the winning hit. New Zealand had won 3-2.

And, with that, ended Pakistan’s dream of an Olympic berth – its third miss in a row.

“It was an incredibly sad day, the most heartbreaking of my career so far. To be so close and yet so far once again was difficult to get over,” Pakistan’s ace forward, Rana Waheed Ashraf, told Al Jazeera.

For decades, Pakistan were a dominant force in the sport. They have won three Olympic golds (1960, 1968 and 1984), as many silvers (1956, 1964 and 1972), and two bronze medals (1976 and 1992), making it a near-permanent presence at the games podium.