LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation needs an immediate grant from the federal government to ensure the national team’s participation in the eight-nation hockey tournament starting in South Africa later this month, a PHF official said on Thursday.

Talking to Dawn, PHF secretary Haider Hussain said Pakistan’s participation in the Nov 28-Dec 4 event was crucial noting victory in South Africa would put Pakistan together with world’s top 10 teams which would increase the country’s chances to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.

Haider said after finishing third at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia this week, Pakistan improved their world ranking from 18th to 17th, adding the forthcoming event in South Africa was another opportunity for the country to return to top ten in world hockey.

The PHF, Haider said, wanted an immediate grant of Rs30 million to prepare the team for the tournament in South Africa and to bear other expenses.

“We are also in negotiations with a private business house to generate funds as the PHF presently has no funds,” Haider revealed.

“It is the responsibility of the government to take care of hockey, which is our national game.”

Asked if the federal government was not happy with the PHF over the recent elections of the federation, the secretary reckoned it was a separate matter while “sending the team to feature in the South Africa event is a national duty”.

Here it may be mentioned here that in the last PHF elections held in August this year, retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar was re-elected as PHF president for the third time. However, the PHF did not follow the instructions of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) which had constituted a five-member committee to conduct fresh elections. But the PHF did not follow the instructions, considering it against its own constitution and fearing the International Hockey Federation (FIH) might suspend Pakistan due to government’s interference in PHF affairs.

It may also be recalled that in 2019 the PSB had refused to release funds for the national team to participate in the first FIH Pro-League. As a result of Pakistan’s non-participation in the Pro League, the PHF faced a Rs4 million penalty and the national team slumped in world rankings from 12th to 17th.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2022