KARACHI: The Chairman of the national selection committee, former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui, has said that he had contacted manager Hasan Sardar and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Shahbaz Ahmed on telephone from the US before inviting 27 probables for the camp in preparation for the next month’s Asian Games.

“The probables includes 22 players who went to Breda for the Champions Trophy and five stand-byes as we want to focus on the Asiad in order to win and earn a direct ticket for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” Islah, who returned from abroad the other day, told a press conference at his academy on Wednesday.

“Doors are always open for talented players from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab or Balochistan who have been given chances to prove their mettle,” he said while referring to co-selector Farhat Khan’s statement that he was not consulted while announcing the probables and all the players belonged to Punjab.

Identifying local player, Khizer, the chief selector said he (Khizer) was given a chance in the camp twice before being dropped and reiterated that only 48 players belonging to the city turned up in the open trials.

Islah, a former member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Rules Board, said as chief selector he has the authority to scout talent across the country and recommend to the PHF. “I’ll carry out talent hunt after the Asian Games,” he added.

Answering another question, Islah quashed rumours taking round that he has misused huge funds given by the Sindh government for the academy besides renting out shops.

“I’ve not spent a single penny from Rs 20 million doled out by the Sindh government in 2014 which has now increased to Rs 25 million and lying in the academy’s account,” he said while clarifying his position.

He replied in the negative when asked whether the caretaker government had asked him to furnish details of the spendings from the government funds. “The questions of accountability doesn’t arise when the principal amount is safe and kept for the rainy day,” he remarked.

He said shops around the sports stadia are being constructed to generate funds for running the activities at the academy and added that it sounds strange that nobody has ever questioned about the shops around Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore or at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium in the city.

According to details, there are 10 commercial shops belonging to the academy while the academy has 12 employees. The coaches work on honorary basis.

Islah said the academy is catering to inter-school, inter-collegiate, inter-university events for boys and girls besides regular training of registered academy players and holding competitions.

For security purpose we ask the players to provide copy of their ID card, cell number, fathers’s name and residential address before getting them enrolled for free of cost training.

“Holding of the national camp is not only an honour for the academy but for Karachi and Sindh,” said Islah and added that the PHF had provided 10 split air-conditioners for the hostel on his request.

“I’m impressed to see the facilities at the academy which are even better than in many European nations,” Islah quoted Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans as saying.

He, however, evaded answering about the monthly expenses of the academy and how they are being met when the government money is lying in the account.

It is pertinent to mention that the office block and dressing rooms were inaugurated on Sept 1, 2012 while the synthetic turf was commissioned on Sept 7, 2013.

After the briefing the journalists were shown the 24 room ground plus two-story impressive hostel which is equipped with a modern gymnasium, lecture room, audio, video facility, kitchen and a lobby on the ground floor.

An expensive chandelier greets the guests as they enter the hostel which Islah said he himself has donated.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2018