LAHORE: Ending their five-year struggle against the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), four dissident Olympians — Shahnaz Sheikh, Islahuddin Siddiqui, Ayaz Mahmood and Akhtar-ul-Islam — have reposed their confidence in the Akhtar Rasool-headed federation.

PHF secretary Rana Mujahid told Dawn on Monday that a very positive meeting was held between the PHF and the aforementioned Olympians the other day, which was also attended by senior Olympians Manzoor-ul-Hasan Senior and Iftikhar Syed, both from the PHF camp.

According to Mujahid, it was unanimously agreed that in future the PHF and the Olympians would jointly work for uplift of the national game in order to enable Pakistan to regain glory in world hockey.

“During the meeting, some recommendations by the former Olympians for betterment of the game were offered to the PHF administration, and these were accepted. The PHF administration also gave some suggestions, which were agreed upon [by the ex-Olympians],” Mujahid added.

Majority of the former Olympians kept themselves away from the PHF when Qasim Zia (president) and Asif Bajwa (secretary) were at the helm. However, when both left and Akhtar Rasool (president) and Mujahid (secretary) were elected in December, a move was initiated to bring all the Olympians at one platform.

In the first attempt, Akhtar met Islah and Shahnaz in Karachi and Rawalpindi. The ice melted to some extent, as many former Olympians stopped their criticism, in the second attempt, Akhtar formed a three-member conciliatory committee comprising Khawaja Zakauddin, retired Lt Col Zafri and Iftikhar Syed to contact the dissident Olympians.

The committee managed to convince Shahnaz, Islahuddin, Akhtar and Ayaz to meet the PHF president to settle issues.

Mujahid reckoned it was a positive sign now that all the former Olympians would unite and move forward in order to achieve one goal — to help Pakistan reclaim its status in international field hockey.

To a question, he said the doors were also open for another noted Olympian Samiullah, one of the leading dissidents.

When contacted, Samiullah resolved to continue his struggle against the present set-up. He said though Federal Sports Minister Riaz Pirzada belongs to his hometown Bahawalpur, his (Samiullah’s) stance against the PHF had no link with that factor. He assured that even if Pirzada would not be the sports minister he would continue with his stand.

According to Samiullah, the PHF conciliatory committee wanted to meet him but he refused, and added that Islahuddin and Shahnaz also consulted him over changing his (Samiullah’s) stance. But, Samiullah added, he was not ready for it.

He said still Qamar Zia, Jehangir Butt, Salim Nazim, Mohammad Saqlain and Naveed Alam were present in his camp.

Samiullah said his differences were based on principles as he did not believe that Akhtar Rasool was elected in a fair manner.