Pakistan hockey coach blames poor umpiring for loss against NZ in Olympic qualifier

Karachi: Pakistan hockey team head coach Shahnaz Sheikh has blamed "biased" and "poor" umpiring for the defeat against New Zealand in the FIH Olympic qualifiers which ended their chances of making it to the Paris Games.

Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, who also manages the team, claimed on returning home that Pakistan lost 2-3 to New Zealand because of the inapt umpiring.

"If it had not been for the umpiring we were in a position to win the match," he said.

After losing 0-4 to Germany in the semi-finals of the FIH Olympics qualifying tournament in Oman, Pakistan were beaten by New Zealand in the third-place classification match which also guaranteed the winner a place in the Paris Olympics.

But Sheikh, who coached the senior team before the Champions Trophy final in 2014, said the TV umpire and on-field umpire had blundered several times.

"They allowed New Zealand to get the equaliser in the second quarter and when we asked for a referral from the umpire he said since there was no camera at the particular spot when the goal was scored it was useless referring to the TV umpire,” Sheikh said.

He said he also went to the technical director to protest and ask for the referral but found out he was from New Zealand.

"How can you post a director from a country which is involved in the match," he questioned.

Sheikh also lamented that several times in the match the umpires made mistakes and it cost the Pakistan team.

He said Pakistan didn't get enough time to prepare for a big tournament like the Olympic qualifiers but said the team had done well.

Pakistan's failure to qualify for the Olympics for a third consecutive time has left the entire hockey community disappointed and frustrated.

Unfortunately, even the national junior team was beaten in the quarter-finals of the Junior World Cup in December by Spain in Kuala Lumpur.

Pakistan has no major title to its credit since last winning the Asian Games in 2010 in Beijing. After that, they qualified once for the Champions Trophy final in 2014 in India but lost in the final to Germany.