LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has contacted the inter-provincial ministry seeking its instructions whether or not it should send expression of interest for participation in next year’s Asian Games to Arif Hasan-led Pakistan Olympic Association (POA).

Sources told Dawn that the PHF had received a letter from the POA asking it to confirm the expression of interest by Dec 31, 2013 otherwise it will lose the opportunity of appearing at the Asiad, where they have to defend the title.

Instead of giving the expression of interest directly to the POA, the Akhtar Rasool-led PHF has contacted the ministry to get an advice in this regard.

The previous president of the PHF, Qasim Zia, had also contacted the ministry when they had to send expression of interest for the Commonwealth Games. The ministry had told him to go through government-backed POA of Akram Sahi instead of Arif Hasan-led POA.

That move deprived Pakistan of participation at the Games because International Olympic Committee only recognises Arif Hasan-led POA as the genuine body.

Pakistan has not qualified for next year’s World Cup and has also lost the chance of participating at the Commonwealth Games. The third major event of hockey next year is Asiad. Pakistan’s chances of participation in it now completely rest with the government that whether it allows the PHF to apply for it through Arif Hasan-led POA or not.