LAHORE: In what seems to be a significant episode of mismanagement and negligence, it has emerged that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) issued the no-objection certificate to the national hockey team for participating in the FIH Pro League on Dec 17, the same day when the squad returned home from Argentina after competing in the league there.

The NOC, which is available on PSB website, issued to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) mentions Dec 17 as the issuance date. Interestingly, the squad landed at the Lahore airport on the same date after playing its Pro League matches in the South American country.

It may be mentioned here that the PSB has adopted a strict policy of not allowing the national team of any game to go abroad without getting the NOC from it. However, various national sports federations in the past faced considerable problems in receiving the NOC on time.

Furthermore, the PSB in its NOC issued to the PHF, also mentioned “Pakistan Sports Board has ‘No Objection” for participation of following Pakistan hockey team members in the FIH Pro Hockey League Seasons 7 from Dec 3 to 17, 2025 at Argentina, subject to clearance from the Ministry of Interior”.

This clearly indicates that the PHF was required to receive clearance also from the Ministry of Interior for the squad to travel to Argentina for the Pro League. Whereas the squad — in actuality — had completed the assignment, and returned home, without receiving the go-ahead from the Ministry of Interior.

The PSB on the past had issued notices to Pakistan Federation Baseball for sending teams abroad without getting the NOC from it. In response, the PFB acknowledged that the team undertook some foreign tours without the NOC only to avoid penalties from international events’ organisations — owing to delay in fielding the team — due to inordinate delay in issuance of the NOCs.

The PSB has adopted a policy that its appointed election commission will hold elections of all the national federations, which resulted in a rift between the PSB and the federations. The federations have expressed their concerns that the said policy — which is considered government interference in sports affairs — may prove detrimental for Pakistan which could be banned from international competitions.

TEAM MANAGER DENIES EVICTION

Anjum Saeed, the manager of the Pakistan team that returned from Argentina, denied that he was ejected from the plane for breaching smoking regulations.

Former Pakistan player Anjum was not present with the team when it landed at the Lahore Airport.

It is learnt that Anjum was smoking in the plane’s lavatory when the alarm rang up. As a result, he was evicted. He returned home late Thursday.

However, he categorically refuted some media reports that said he was evicted at an airport in Brazil during the national squad’s transit from Argentina for smoking in the plane.

“I stayed back in Dubai with one of the players of the national team and no such incident of ejection due to smoking happened,” Anjum claimed.

“I belong to a hockey family which has produced four Olympians. My rivals who are not happy with my appointment as the national team manager are spreading such [false] news.”

The Pakistan team returned home from Argentina after losing all four matches of the first leg of the Pro League, two each against Holland and Argentina.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2025