According to me this is the end of Pakistani Hockey.Even though they won but remember this Is perhaps 5-6 grade Indian team or perhaps even below that.
As we know Indian Players are playing in HIL.
HIL teams-6
Minimum Indian Players in each team would be around 12-15.Lets take 10 to be safe.This makes our top 60 players not being a part of our Hockey squad.Apart from 60 players our complete u-19 team is not also there which makes our top 75 players not being a part of the selected squad and Pakistan with its full strength team just managed to beat us 2-1.I have no doubt that come the final(as our team plays cuple of more matches) gets used to each other, we can beat Pakistan with this squad also(as they were lucky in beating us 2-1) and if our 6-7 grade squad beats them,than surely it will be end of Pakistani Hockey(Hard for them to recover)
Please don't forget this is not tge Pakistan's first team either. Their players ate in great demand in European leagues and no Europe based player was in this team
Their first team but are best team in the champion trophy in Bhubaneswar......obituary is premature IMO
Bro,Pakistani Hockey is continuously declining. They had failed to qualify for 2014 Hockey World Cup and now for 2016 Olympics.I really doubt that any European clubs would be chasing them among such poor performances.
Of the little match I saw,it seemed to be Pakistan's main team.I knew more Pakistani players than I knew Indian Players. Rehan butt,Umar Butta,Mohd. Tousseq,Ali, Imran etc whereas Gurbaj was the only Indian player I knew.
@Bad We cannot write obituary of other team especially when we lost to them. Rehan Butt has retired but still he is playing in this team-this shows that this team is not their first team.One can never take them lightly. They got Silver Medal in Champions trophy in 2014. Last time we got any medal in Champions Trophy was in 1982.
Munna,it's not an obituary,its just an opinion based on some facts.I have not said that we have become World beaters,we also as you rightly said not won a champions trophy medal,failed to qualify for Olympics, came last in World cup etc but we have managed to recover somewhat.Qualifying two times for Olympics 2016 winning bronze at World league finals proves it.My point is that a loss against this Indian team( Top 70-80 players not included) except Gurbaj would be a huge psychological blow for Pakistan that it would be very difficult for them to recover.
Regarding Rehan butt retirement and return,they don't have players to replace them that is why they come out of retirement, Sohail Abbas's and Mohd. Waseem have come out of retirement three times I knw( may be more) as they don't have replacement.
Look closely at how we reached the bronze medal playoff
We came last or second last in group but EVERYONE qualified for round of 8 we basically won 1match
Pakistan is declining in every sport that too at a very rapid pace.Squash,Hockey,cricket ,it used to be better than India for quite a while but at present I can't see a sport in which if is better than India.This,Hockey there is already suffering and a loss to 6-7 string Indian team would be a final nail in the coffin as far as I can see.
Comments
They got Silver Medal in Champions trophy in 2014. Last time we got any medal in Champions Trophy was in 1982.
India Women's Team defeated Sri lanka 5-0 in Football.
http://wap.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/india-women-maul-sri-lanka-5-0-in-sag-football-116020901242_1.html