ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is competing in an international ice hockey tournament being held in Coral Springs, United States, in which the young team this week defeated Brazil after two consecutive losses in its very first appearance in a major contest, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, citing the US National Hockey League (NHL).
Team Pakistan, a combination of players of Pakistani descent, was hastily put together by Donny Khan, a Pakistani-American and a senior NHL official. The NHL is a highly popular ice hockey league in North America that comprises 32 teams — 25 in the US and 7 in Canada. It has been growing and now teams from all over the world are taking part in it.
Pakistan made its debut this year after Khan worked hard and found 18 players of Pakistani origin from across the US, who are now sporting the national green and white colors and representing Pakistan at the Latin America (LATAM) Cup at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs. Umar Khan, a Pakistani-American and a former NHL intern, helped Khan find players through word of mouth and scouring social media.
The tournament features 52 men’s, women’s and youth teams and more than 1,100 players representing 17 countries and territories, including Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Pakistan is the latest addition to the tournament.
“Three games at City College and now I’m representing my country [Pakistan]. Ever since I got into (ice) hockey, I’ve been dreaming about bringing it back to Pakistan,” the state-run APP news agency quoted Pakistan defenseman Saem Iftikhar as saying.
Iftikhar, a student at City College in New York, won a berth in the national team after playing just five games.
“I look around and I see Pakistani heritage players,” he said. “This is a dream come true. I think it’s the first step in a much larger operation.”
Pakistan went down fighting to Mexico 6-5 on Thursday and lost the opening match to Chile 8-3 on Wednesday. After the initial losses, the Pakistani team rebounded on Friday to record its first victory in the prestigious tournament, defeating Brazil 5-2, according to the APP report.
Khan said Pakistan’s LATAM Cup debut would not be a one-off thing, and he and other players were already talking about returning with another men’s team, and a women’s team.
“We’re actually in conversations right now with the Winter Sports Federation of Pakistan. We have their official blessing. We’re trying to fully establish ourselves as a club and part of the sports federation of Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying.
“The long-term goal is that we inspire people in Pakistan and eventually have a team Pakistan in the Asia Winter Games and one day, God willing, in the Winter Olympics.”
Umar, who helped Khan form the Pakistan team, said his father always taught him to be “passionate about my heritage.”
“Just being able to represent my father’s country, my grandfather, who came from Lahore in the 1940s, and just to represent them and put it in the game that I love, I was ecstatic about it,” he said.