KARACHI: Former Olympian Samiullah wants the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to give NOC’s to the country’s veteran players who will participate in the International Veteran Club Hockey tournament.

The veteran tournament will be organised immediately after the Olympic Games in London.

“We won the championship in 1994 and 2002,” Samiullah said.

“It is not a very competitive event and many clubs from a country can participate.

“If the PHF wants to send its own team, even we could participate.”

According to the tournament rules, it is compulsory for veteran clubs to get an NOC from their respective federation.

“We aren’t asking the federation to sponsor it as every player has to pay his own expenses,"  Samiullah added.

Meanwhile, another former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, who is also a part of the veterans’ team, said that featuring in such tournaments projects a soft image of the country throughout the world.

Shahnaz said that the federation is reluctant to give the players NOCs for participation in the event without any proper reason.—PPI