After the World Cup, the elite Champions Trophy has been Pakistan's biggest contribution to hockey. The World Cup was initiated by Pakistan, back in 1971 and has since grown into a prestigious event, next to the coveted Olympics competition.

As the 26th edition of CT is set to roll, for the eleventh time in Pakistan and fifth time in the home of Pakistan hockey, Lahore, the fans back home hope the team will fight hard to end the victory drought and try to grab the top spot on the podium.

FIH 's premier annual event, the Champions Trophy, features the world's top ranked teams competing in a round-robin format with the teams advancing to final, bronze-decider and wooden-spoon match. Six teams qualify for the tough contest, though the first edition in Lahore had five teams, second at Karachi had seven and 9th at Amstelveen had eight.

The qualification criteria were amended in 2001 with the introduction of the Champions Challenge tournament. The winner of the Champions Challenge will qualify for CT (in the even years, even if the CT is played after the Olympic Games or World Cup in that same year).

As the CT 2004 is on the threshold of reality from 4-12 December, it is difficult to remain unaffected by the vicissitudes of history. So far only 14 teams have figured in the event, and only four among them have won in the 25 preceding years is an interesting piece of statistics. But sport is something far beyond the cold, heartless numbers. On the contrary, it is sustained by the spirit, the effort to carve out something extra and extra-ordinary.

Who conceived the idea of the Champions Trophy?

It was the sheer force of Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan's dynamism and dedication way back in 1978. Launched as a venture to elevate the quality of competition and restricted to the top six in the world, the Champions Trophy has contributed to a new course of hockey history.

The tournament, exacting and demanding by its very nature, also provided a testing ground for the top nations besides increasing the exposure and sponsorship so badly needed for hockey at a global level. But the terms of hosting the event were demanding as well. The extravaganza required the hosts to bear the air-fare and cost of stay of all the teams, a commitment that Pakistan were happy to meet until another nation came forward.

Proposal at Buenos Aires

Before the FIH Council meeting held during the Fourth World Cup 1978, Nur Khan asked A.I.S. Dara, who was then FIH Vice President, to move a proposal for the Champions Trophy.

A reception was hurriedly arranged at Buenos Aires's Hotel Sheraton to do the initial work before actually putting forward the proposal. Besides the Presidents of six leading hockey nations, nearly all the members of FIH Council and Technical Committee attended the function. Nur Khan briefly explained that due to inclusion of some weak sides and consequent one-sided matches, the World Cup might lost its charm. If six best teams of the World compete in the event, then every match will become thrilling and action-packed.

Put up for consideration at Buenos Aires when the hockey community was marveling at the induction of the astro turf at the Montreal Olympics 1976, hockey needed a high profile competition. And the Champions Trophy fitted in well in that panorama.

Nur Khan also explained the main object of the Champions Trophy. The idea was to provide frequent opportunities to the leading hockey nations to play against each other and benefit from each other's advancement in technique and latest development for making progress in this game.

And what more, the Nur Khan promised Pakistan would host, pay for the air travel and do everything possible for the success of the event until another unit came forward to take up the task. Pakistan would step in and host the event whenever FIH found it difficult to find another host.

The initial discussions were partially successful and the very next day a formal proposal was drafted, which included the terms governing the conduct of the Champions Trophy. Nur Khan signed a detailed letter and officially handed it over to FIH President Rene Frank and General Secretary Etienne Glichitch through Dara. Despite the short notice, they were kind enough to put the proposal before the FIH Council, two days later.

To every body's surprise, the sanction of the Champions Trophy by the FIH Council was unanimous whereas this had not been the case with the World Cup in late 60s. When the World Cup proposal was first considered in the FIH meeting nobody had realized that, if it materialized, the contest would assume great importance and even eclipse the hockey competition in the Olympics. It took Dara six months in the FIH to convince the Council colleagues about the necessity of the World Cup.

But the 1978 FIH Council meeting decided the issue within few days. The proposal was adopted and Rene Frank stood up and said : "The first Champions Trophy is allotted to the beautiful city of the East, Lahore, which is hockey's own city".Rene Frank's contribution to world hockey will be remembered ever as both WC and CT were introduced during his term of office as FIH President.

Incidentally, Lahore also had to the honor of being nominated as host of the inaugural World Cup contest but due to political situation in Pakistan during those days, the venue was shifted to Barcelona in 1971. This time the situation in Pakistan was fine, Lahore took the challenge well in a befitting manner. M.H. Atif took the initiative as organizing secretary as it was first event for him as PHF Secretary who took that important seat on 14 October 1978.

Inaugural edition

Pakistan pocketed the first edition, sponsored profusely by PIA, on 24 November 1978. The inaugural event at Gaddafi Cricket Stadium, the only of the 25 editions held on natural grass of, began on shaky footsteps.

Netherlands and Germany withdrew due to an overflowing schedule that year (fourth World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina and third European Nations Cup in Hanover, Germany). India tuned down the invitation letter for organizational reasons. Spain sent an under-strength squad because a number of players had personal obligations during that period. Great Britain and New Zealand filled two of the vacant places as organizers decided to make it a five-team event.

Islahuddin Siddiqui became the first skipper to lift the CT after Pakistan won all their four matches. He received a beautiful trophy, made of pure silver and weighing five KG, from late Gen. Zia Ul Haq, President of Pakistan at that time. The basic idea to design the winning trophy of CT was decided by Nur Khan and Atif at PIA headquarter in 1978, and with the help of PIA artists, they were able to produce a wonderfully designed beautiful trophy.

Pakistan retained the title with memorable hockey in Karachi 1980. The founder of the competition had to wait another 14 years for their third triumph when they out stroked Germany in the pulsating final at Lahore's National hockey stadium. The most successful nation in this glamorous annual show is Germany who managed to win the title on eight occasions. But Australia and Netherlands, each having seven triumphs, are closing the gap. The Dutchmen have won five of the last eight editions to raise their number of titles to just one behind Germany.

Pakistan have won three golds, six silvers and five bronzes in the competition whose history is orbited around 25 years. Pakistan have never won the Champions trophy on a foreign soil. However, they were able to win silvers when Berlin and Chennai hosted the 1991 and 1996 editions respectively.

This glittering show will go to India in 2005 as FIH has awarded the 27th edition to the Chennai which is among twelve cities who have the honor of playing hosts to this glamorous annual event. Others are Lahore, Karachi, Amstelveen, Perth, Berlin, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Adelaide, Brisbane, Rotterdam and Cologne.

The FIH recommended the Champions Trophy be held in Chennai in November-December. Chennai's Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, was built in time for the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games Hockey tournament 1995 and it has also played host to the CT 1996. India won the bid to host the CT 2005, but missed out on staging the eighth Junior World Cup, which will be held in Netherlands.

IHF, which had bid for both the tournaments scheduled for 2005, at 38th FIH Congress held in Perth, had to be content with the six-nation elite tournament after the FIH authorities decided to give IHF a chance to host only one important event in a year.

Compiled By : Sardar Khan