LAHORE: President Mamnoon Hussain has assured the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) of every possible financial support for the execution of its schedule of programmes.

A PHF press release states: “The President of Pakistan gave this assurance during a meeting with PHF president Olympian Akhtar Rasool and secretary general Olympian Rana Mujahid at the Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad on Monday.

During the 40-minute meeting both the PHF officials apprised the president about the measure that the federation was taking to uplift the standard of the game in Pakistan.

They also apprised the president about the financial condition of the federation which was a hurdle to implement their programme effectively.

“President Mr Mamnoon Hussain resolved that the government would take every possible step to support the national game. Showing his passion for hockey, the president also advised the PHF to hold President Gold Cup in Karachi and added that he would himself come to witness the matches.

The President also congratulated Akhtar Rasool and Rana Mujahid on their success in the recent PHF elections. Akhtar Rasool and Rana Mujahid thanked the President for giving them time and listening to their problems which reflects his keen interest in the game of hockey.”

In the aftermath of the meeting it seems that Inter-provincial minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada’s assurance to the former Olympians of fresh polls after they staged a protest against the newly-elected PHF body seems very unlikely to go through.