LAHORE: Pakistan Olympians Forum on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose adhoc on the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to avoid further decline of the national game.

Former Olympians Manzoor-ul-Hasan, Rao Saleem Nazim, Rasheed-ul-Hassan, Naved Alam, Mohammad Usman and international Qaiser Iqbal tabled the demand in a press conference held in Gojra.

Manzoor said during the last 15 years or so Pakistan had experienced alarming downfall of hockey.

“Pakistan were eighth in 2008 and are 17th at present only because of shortsighted administration and management of the PHF which is a great cause of concern for the nation,” he said at the presser.

“Whenever someone asks me about the plight of hockey I feel shame to explain as we brought laurels for the country [during our playing days],” Manzoor said.

He said the PHF needs an honest and dedicated management to uplift the standard of the national game.

“Structural changes are badly needed for the promotion of hockey as the incumbent PHF management looks incompetent to do all this.”

As many as sixteen academies were set up during the Qasim Zia tenure as PHF chief with no proper planning, reminded Manzoor.

He hoped that in the next part of the campaign the forum would hold programme in Islamabad ans Lahore and soon the country’s hockey community would hear a good news.

Rao Saleem Nazim said the Olympians Forum has launched their campaign from Gojra which is internationally known as Olympic Village of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2020