LAHORE: Rana Mujahid was elected as Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary for a second time during the Extraordinary Congress meeting, which also elected Col Asif Naz as joint-secretary in place of Zahir Shah, here on Wednesday.

The meeting was conducted by acting secretary Shahid Pervaiz following the disputed resignation of Haider Hussain, amid calls by some congress members that it was illegal as they had not been invited.

Bhindara told Dawn that over 60 members from a total of 103 that form the Congress had attented the meeting, saying every member, even those who did not attend — including Olympian Hanif Khan and Shakeel Abbasi, had been sent invitations.

Hanif and Shakeel were due to travel with the Pakistan Junior team to Malaysia for a tournament as the head coach and coach respectively on Tuesday and Bhindara informed they had decided not to go.

“We have roped in [Dutch hockey coach] Roeland Oltmans for the junior team and he will join the team directly,” he said.

Rana Mujahid, who was previously secretary during the tenure of Akhtar Rasool as PHF president, said the time had come to revive the national game.

He becomes the fifth secretary during the term of incumbent PHF chief retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.

Khokhar said he had accepted Haider’s resignation although the latter has denied that claim.

The change at the top comes with Pakistan due to participate at an Olympic qualifying tournament for Paris 2024 in Oman early next year. Pakistan have failed to qualify for the last two editions of the Games.

There is also trouble brewing for the PHF as the Inter-provincial Coordination Ministry is probing a hidden account in Sindh Bank which was operated by the PHF. But the record of the said account is not available in the PHF offices and in his last letter as PHF secretary, Haider had written to the bank to ask for details of the transactions from it.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2023