Dr. Zafar Iqbal, a resident of Traralgon on the outskirts of Melbourne, has recently returned after representing Pakistan at the Masters Hockey World Cup held in the Over-60 category. The tournament was played in Belgium and the Netherlands. What makes it special is that this Pakistani team took part in a Masters world event after a gap of nearly 20 years, and it included several senior international players, among them the well-known hockey player Shahbaz Senior.
According to Dr. Zafar Iqbal, this Masters World Cup comprised different age groups, ranging from players as young as 35 to as old as 75, and he himself was part of the Over-60 category team. He said that Pakistan's team received a formal invitation from the Netherlands, after which Shahbaz Senior formed the team, and he himself earned his place on the team by giving trials in Lahore.
Dr. Zafar says that representing his country and playing in national colours was like a dream come true for him, especially getting the opportunity to play alongside senior international players such as Shahbaz Senior, Khalid Hameed, and Tariq Sheikh. He also explained that these tournaments are not held under government patronage but are self-financed, meaning players bear their own travel, accommodation, and registration expenses themselves, which is why several good players from Pakistan could not take part due to financial difficulties. Alongside this, he also shed light on the difference between the current and past styles of Pakistani hockey, particularly mentioning the difficulties faced in adopting modern European hockey style compared to the traditional style.
