Dear Editor,
The behaviour of Pakistan hockey players after winning the semi-final of the Champions Trophy at Bhubaneswar was atrocious. They took off their shirts and gesticulated towards the audience in shameful way.
I was reminded of a brazen protest Pakistan players had staged at the closing ceremony of Munich Olympics in 1972. Pakistan and Germany had reached the final. As Pakistan Centre forward Mudassar Asghar scored a goal, it was disallowed by the umpire. Later, Germany was awarded a penalty corner from which they scored in the 60th minute. Thus Germany won. At the medal ceremony, all 11 players of Pakistan had put their silver medals on their feet and turned their backs to the West German flag. The present chief coach of Pakistan hockey Shahnaz Sheikh was a member of that Pakistan hockey team.
After this incident, Pakistan Hockey Federation was suspended from international hockey for four years. However, the ban was revoked in 1974 after the then President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tendered an unqualified apology to the IHF.
Avtar Singh
via-e-mail