LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Rana Mujahid claimed the team’s morale is high during the Hockey World League semi-finals currently underway in Antwerp, Belgium, but appealed to federal information minister Pervaiz Rasheed to ensure the live telecast of the matches.

Pakistan beat Poland 2-1 on Saturday in their opening game of the event, which serves as qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Mujahid also put down reports that the national team might be ousted from their hotel in a couple of days due to non-payment of their bills.

“The reports available to the PHF are quite satisfactory and the national team is staying in a five-star hotel, enjoying all other facilities while their morale is quite high,” Mujahid said on Monday.

“Those who are spreading this baseless news are enemies of Pakistan hockey,” added the PHF secretary who was due to leave with PHF president Akhtar Rasool for Belgium on Monday night for the remaining games of the World League.

He lamented the fact that PTV Sports did not telecast the Pakistan-Poland game despite showing the matches involving other teams.

“It surprises every hockey lover in the country that except for the Pakistan-Poland match, PTV Sports showed all other matches,” he said. “I would like to appeal to the federal information minister to ensure the live telecast of all the remaining games involving of Pakistan through the PTV Sports as hockey is our national game.”

Pakistan face Australia in their second Pool ‘A’ match on Wednesday but Mujahid was eyeing the battle against arch-rivals India two days later.

“The game against Australia is a tough one but everyone is looking forward to the match against India as it will be a real battle,” he said. “India lost the last time they met Pakistan [in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy] before their home crowd [last December] so they will be looking to avenge that defeat.

“We are well-prepared, though, are looking at securing top position in our group.”

Mujahid added that the PHF will meet Hockey India (HI) officials in Belgium and will try to negotiate the possibilities for the resumption of the bilateral series between the two countries.

“It is necessary to resume bilateral series in order to raise the standard of the game in the sub-continent,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2015

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