LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation’s plans to hold training camps, one for the national senior team and the other for the whites and development squads, at different venues in Lahore may run into serious problems for different reasons.

While the camp for the senior team is to begin from Sunday (today), the camp for the whites and development squads is scheduled to start on Tuesday. The camps are being organised for the forthcoming triangular series at home featuring the three squads.

According to the training programme, the camp for the senior team will be held at the main ground of the National Hockey Stadium (NHS) while the camp for the whites and development squads is to be organised at the Johar Town Stadium.

However, on Saturday, a part of the NHS Astro Turf — from the main entrance side of the stadium — was found badly damaged, making the surface dangerous for the players who are scheduled to start training today.

Here it is important to mention that the damaged part of the Astro Turf from, which is in complete tatters, looks quite bumpy.

The second Astro Turf at the NHS was removed last year to place a new one. However, it seems the project has fallen a victim of red-tapism with no visible signs of its completion in the near future.

And this is not all.

The PHF may face problems in arranging any activity at the Johar Stadium too which is under the administrative control of Olympian and ex-PHF president Akhtar Rasool.

According to sources, though Akhtar is ready to give the stadium to the federation (for use), he is demanding arrears — amounting to Rs3.4 million — from the PHF if it also wants to avail the accommodation facility at the venue.

Though the PHF in the past held training camps at the Johar Stadium on various occasions while using its accommodation facility too, the above-mentioned amount is yet to be paid.

Here it is pertinent to mention that the PHF has planned to hold the triangular series at home involving three home-based squads, including national senior team, aimed at preparing a strong outfit for the World Hockey League (WHL) being held in England in June. The WHL will function as the qualifying round for next year’s World Cup.

The PHF planned the said triangular series after failing to engage France and/or Spain for series ahead of the WHL. Furthermore, not long ago, the PHF received a shock when the Malaysian Hockey Confederation overlooked Pakistan for this year’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2017