KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui and his co-selectors have tendered their resignation in the aftermath of greenshirts failure to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Other members of the committee were Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Mussadiq Hussain.

“We were given the task for four to five years but we feel it is our duty to quit as the Pakistan hockey team has reached a new low at the Hockey World League semi-finals at Antwerp, Belgium, failing to qualify for the next year’s Olympics for the first time ever,” Islah told Dawn.

“I’d talked to Ayaz and Mussadiq on the telephone and they gave their consent while Khalid had also stepped down,” he added.

“We’ve picked the team on ‘merit’ from the available pool of players but nobody can do anything when the players failed to capitalise on penalty stroke, penalty corners and 10-12 open sitters ,” said Islah, who led Pakistan team to victory at the Buenos Aires World Cup in 1978.

The former Olympian said he and his colleague selectors were carrying out their duties ‘honorary.’

Islah said he will always be available whenever the PHF calls him in the larger interest of the game.

He added that it was the duty of the PHF to check the credentials and past success record while appointing his successor.

To a query, he said the PHF and chief coach Shahnaz Shaikh will give their points of view on the team’s poor display at Antwerp where the team finished eighth among 10 teams.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2015

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