ISLAMABAD, Oct 21: Dismissing the criticism against Pakistan Hockey Federation's (PHF) management after national team's recent flop in the Commonwealth Games, Federal Sports Minister Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani on Thursday said the federation should be given more time to produce better results.

Pakistan could not reach the last-four stage of the recently held Commonwealth Games hockey event after losing key pool games to Australia (1-0) and India (7-4). In earlier pool matches, the Green Shirts had defeated Scotland (3-0) and Malaysia (4-1).

“National hockey team's coach [Michel van den Heuvel] took over some two months ago and calls to remove him are not justified at all,” Jakhrani said.

While acknowledging that Pakistan team's show at the Delhi Games was not reasonable, the minister reckoned one should hope for positive results from the Dutch coach and the current management.

“They are doing well; give them a chance and by the way there is no clean chit handed over to any of them [PHF officials],” the minister remarked.

Jakhrani refrained from answering the questions from reporters when asked by them for looking into the affairs of the PHF which is in a transitional phase.

“We never wanted to look into the matters of national sports federations nor we want to get involved in micro affairs of the federations as the Sports Ministry would like to see better on-field results,” Jakhrani stated.