Sohail Abbas is a former captain of the Pakistan Hockey team and the leading goal scorer in the history of the game. He made his international debut in 1998 and made an instant impact in his second game, scoring a dramatic late winner with a drag flick from a penalty corner to win the game for Pakistan. He was the leading scorer at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and he equaled the 22-year-old world record by scoring his 267th goal on 4th October 2004, before breaking it four days later. He is the scorer of the highest number of goals (60) in a calendar year as well as the holder of the title of fastest century and double century of goals in international hockey.

In an exclusive interview with Pakpassion, Sohail Abbas talks about his early days in the sport, the importance of changing the hockey infrastructure in Pakistan to encourage youngsters, and his plans for the future.

PakPassion.net: How did your interest in hockey grow as your father was a former first-class cricketer?

Sohail Abbas: Yes, my father played first-class cricket and it was due to him I started playing hockey. My uncle, Safdar Abbas, was a left-winger for the Pakistan hockey team and he has also been an inspiration for me since his childhood.

PakPassion.net: How did you get selected for the Pakistan team?

Sohail Abbas: I have been playing hockey since my school days. I studied at the Habib Public School in Karachi. It has produced many other hockey stars in the past. After that, I played at the junior level for 4 years before I was picked to represent Pakistan. I had a tough start, but gradually made it.

PakPassion.net: What will it take to attain the status of our glory years?

Sohail Abbas: Well, to match the status of our legends is no walk in the park, but at the same time, we have a lot of talent in Pakistan. The onus is merely on the intentions of the players and the selectors as well as their hard work. We need to upgrade our system and be just in our selection policy.

PakPassion.net: Why is hockey not able to attract sponsors and is there a possibility of a Pakistan Hockey Premier League with foreign players?

Sohail Abbas: Yes, this is a major concern. If you look at India, there is a lot of interest as far as the sponsors are concerned. We have to be more patriotic and must have links with top level and willing companies. Only in this case, is there a possibility of such a league.

PakPassion.net: What is the reason for hockey being overlooked by our youngsters?

Sohail Abbas: As I mentioned before, I was the product of school hockey and the junior setup. My school taught hockey as a subject, but unfortunately there is no concept of hockey in our schools anymore. The infrastructure needs to be modified. Our government as well as the Federation has to step up and take the initiative for the prosperity of hockey in Pakistan.

PakPassion.net: Pakistan have not been able to win a medal at the Olympics thus far in your playing days. Are you concerned by that?

Sohail Abbas: Yes, obviously, it would have been great had I been able to win an Olympic medal for my country, but it wasn’t to be unfortunately. We lost to Korea in the semi-finals of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. It’s my belief that only we are responsible for all our shortcomings, so there is no point regretting.

PakPassion.net: What are your plans after your hockey career?

Sohail Abbas: I have a lot of plans in mind. I will help our youngsters in every possible way. I have been doing that and am looking forward to pass on my experience to them once I hang up my boots.

PakPassion.net: Do you have any particular goal which you find the most memorable?

Sohail Abbas: I have scored a lot of them and remember almost all of them. I always thank Almighty ALLAH whenever I look back at my career. I reckon scoring my debut goal and the goal which made me the highest scorer in world hockey are the best ones.

PakPassion.net: What has been the proudest moment of your career?

Sohail Abbas: Representing my country was a very proud moment from me. Winnings medals for Pakistan made me equally proud. Bagging gold medals at the Asian Games and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was like a dream come true. Last, but not least, scoring the most number of goals in international hockey is by far, the proudest moment of my career and I thank ALLAH for honouring me with that feat.

PakPassion.net: Were you disappointed when Pakistan failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in history?

Sohail Abbas: Yes, I was highly disappointed by that, but then I don’t feel like being part of this debate to a great extent as I was not the part of the squad and I might not have been able to see my team through either. What’s done is done and we must get over it. At the end of the day, we reap the fruit which we sow, not what others sow.

PakPassion.net: Do you believe Pakistani players need to be more imposing on the field like the Australians and do we need a foreign coach for that purpose?

Sohail Abbas: No, we have a lot of great local coaches in our country who have dominated world hockey in their time. We just need to be very patient because you can’t produce results overnight. I believe if our coaches work faithfully and remain loyal to their task, they can produce bright results.

PakPassion.net: Who is your all-time favourite player?

Sohail Abbas: Shahbaz Ahmed (Senior) is the player I like the most. I have personally seen him play and he impressed me a lot. There are a lot of legends of Pakistan, but he is the one who I personally admire. Waseem Ahmed is also a very good player. As far as foreign players are concerned, Teun de Nooijer of Holland is the best in the world.

PakPassion.net: Thank you very much for your precious time.

Sohail Abbas: My pleasure.

By: Farid Khan
Courtesy: PakPassion