'Hockey fiasco' (3).

Byline: Muneeb Faisal - Lahore

WHILE it was heartening to see Pakistan put on a spirited show against the Netherlands in the first leg of the hockey Olympic qualifier, the heavy loss in the second leg left many fans disappointed yet again. The men in green, 17th in the world, played their hearts out against the third ranked Netherlands, drawing 4-4 in the first leg.

However, the Dutch showed their prowess in the second leg, thrashing Pakistan 6-1 and punching their ticket to Tokyo for next year's Olympics. This means that our hockey team, three-time Olympic and four-time world champions, has failed to qualify for the second consecutive Olympic Games. The players should not be blamed for the dismal performance though, as the sorry...