LAHORE, Aug 31: Former member of the Senate Standing Committee on Sports Enver Beg has demanded of the government to sack the entire management of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for not qualifying for next year’s World Cup for the first time in 43 years.

“Everyone knows that the PHF set-up of Qasim Zia has set the World Cup as its main target some four years back but not qualifying for it has exposed poor planning and strategy on the part of the PHF,” said Enver, who as a member of the standing committee had been critical of the performance of PHF and Pakistan Cricket Board.

“Now the people who are at the helm of the affairs have no right to continue their office as the government should sack all of them to bring in new people on merit,” he added.

“The game of hockey is our national sport but the current PHF hierarchy despite getting funds in millions from the government failed to check the decline of the game, which is now touching its lowest ebb,” he said.

Pakistan lost to South Korea 1-2 in the semi-final of the ongoing Asia Cup, thus its road to qualify for next year’s World Cup ended on Friday in Ipoh, Malaysia. Pakistan went to Ipoh under must-win situation in order to book a place in the World Cup.

“It will be better if the people who are working with the national team should resign at their own, but I don’t think anyone will have such courage, so, the government which has provided millions of rupees has the right to sack all of them and start the accountability process,” he said.

“What a surprise that Pakistan remained at the bottom in the 2010’s World Cup in India, but after four year, the country was not in top 12 to play the extravaganza.”

Enver said had the Pakistan team ended the Asia Cup on a happy note, it would have given the entire nation a real happiness, which it needed desperately.

He urged the government to appoint an honest, hardworking and energetic man as head of the PHF who could save the game from total disaster.

Enver admitted that the decline in other sports was also visible and the government should have to take emergent measures to pull out the sports from crisis.