LAHORE: Former Olympian and secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Khalid Mah­mood slammed the PHF president for forming of probe committee to find out reasons for the poor display of the national team in the ongoing World Cup, instead of clai­ming responsibility for the poor show and tendering resignation.

Khalid said it was nothing but a joke that the man who was responsible for all the planning for the last four years was not ready to quit but instead he wanted to make others scapegoat through the own-picked probe committee, headed by Olympian Rasheed Junior.

“I would like to appeal to prime minister Imran Khan to take immediate notice of the team’s performance by giving top priority to the national game, since it has earned good name for the country.

“Being the prime minister of the country, it should be the top priority of Imran Khan, who is also a sports personality to take immediate action against the PHF officials,” Khalid demanded.

Khalid said he would also welcome accountability process in the PHF and for it he would offer to start it from the tenure of president Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s stint that started in 2007-08. Khalid was the secretary PHF during Jamali’s tenure.

Khalid said the game of hockey had been facing constant decline for the last many years, but no one was ready to work with sincerity.

He said a good number of changes of coaches in the last couple of years was enough to expose the poor planning of the PHF.

He said Tauqir Dar was appointed as head coach just 20 days before the World Cup and it was nothing but making mockery of affairs.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2018