Pakistan coach Manzur ul Hassan says skipping 2019 FIH Pro League was a mistake
Pakistan’s newly appointed hockey head coach, Manzur ul Hassan, has called the team’s absence from the inaugural FIH Pro League in 2019 a costly misstep that denied players essential top-level competition. Speaking on Tuesday, the former Olympian said the decision left Pakistan playing catch-up against rivals who have been competing in the event since it began.
Pakistan was excluded from the first Pro League after withdrawing from its opening three matches. The team then had to contest the second-tier Nations Cup alongside lower-ranked sides before earning promotion back to the Pro League. “It was a mistake to not play in the FIH Pro League when it started in 2019 and our players missed out on valuable opportunities to test themselves against top sides,” Hassan said.
“If you look at the other teams they have been playing in the Pro League since 2019 which we missed out on as our players were relegated to playing against low ranked sides.” Hassan is overseeing a training camp ahead of next month’s Pro League leg, where Pakistan is due to face Belgium, Spain, India and England.
He identified deep defence as the squad’s biggest area of concern, stressing the need for significant improvement. “In modern day hockey I think deep defence has a very important role to play as now attacks and counter attacks happen very quickly so the goalkeeper and deep defenders have to be very grounded,” he said.
Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be played in Belgium and Netherlands in August after a gap of eight years. Hassan said his immediate priority is to ensure a strong performance at the Asian Games and to secure direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
His appointment has prompted debate within Pakistan hockey circles, with some questioning whether the 74-year-old is aligned with the demands of modern hockey and suggesting a foreign coach might have been a better option ahead of the World Cup. Hassan dismissed those concerns.
“I don’t think age is a factor as I have been very active as a coach in domestic hockey with my departmental teams. Secondly, I have a full support staff to assist me and my main job is to keep the players comfortable, happy by communicating well with them. My other job is to strategize for every match,” he said.
With the Pro League fixtures looming, Pakistan’s performances there—and at the Asian Games—will set the tone for the team’s return to top-tier competition and its push toward Olympic qualification.