LAHORE, Jan 12: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Sunday disallowed four players from representing their new departments at the ongoing 50th national hockey championship departmental qualifying round.

Waseem Ahmad and Naveed Iqbal were not allowed to play for Wapda after they quit Habib Bank last December.

Shakir Munir, currently representing Pakistan Juniors in Malaysia, will not play for Allied Bank instead of PTCL, while Ghazanfar Ali will not represent PTCL instead of National Bank.

The tournament director Lt-Col Zafar Ali Khan told reporters the decision was taken after departments failed to send the list of their players for the qualifying round.

The PHF, he added, had already issued instructions to departments to make changes in their team, if any, till Dec 1 and convey the PHF till Dec 15.

Waseem and Naveed had not been allowed to represent Wapda as they resigned from Habib Bank on Dec 30 and same was the case with Shakir and Ghazanfar, tournament director said.

Meanwhile, journalists covering the event faced difficulties as the electronic scoreboard installed at venue was not working.

Neither the organisers, Punjab Hockey Association nor the Punjab Sports Board, the caretakers of the stadium, informed the technical staff of the watch company to repair the scoreboard.

No alternative arrangements to display the scores were made to facilitate reporters and the fans.

Besides, not a single national selector bothered to watch the matches of the national championship. The Lahore-based chief selector Akhtar Rasool, members Hassan Sardar, Saleem Nazim, and Saeed Khan, did not see any of the six games on the opening day.