LAHORE: Pakistan hockey players who put up a fine show in two major back-to-back events recently by winning a bronze medal in the Champions Trophy in Australia and then annexing the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy in Doha are feeling quite dejected after receiving a cold shoulder from the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and also owing to the lukewarm response of the Punjab government towards the team.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, some senior players of the Pakistan team told Dawn that neither the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) nor the Prime Minister Secretariat have made any attempt whatsoever to either felicitate or invite the winning team after its notable achievements in the past one month.

They pointed out that, much in contrast, President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari had wasted no time in directing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to announce Rs500,000 for the players of Pakistan cricket team which recently defeated India 2-1 in the three-match One-day International series.

“The fact is that the Pakistani cricketers already get paid quite handsomely and keep getting financial boosts every now while the hockey players have no such financial packages or rewards for them which is quite sad,” said a disgruntled hockey player.

“Though in the past Pakistan could not earn any notable position in international hockey and many seasoned campaigners left the scene without fetching any major title for the country, the recent achievements of the hockey team has earned lot of good name for Pakistan at international level which calls for substantial reward on the govt’s part for us,” said another player who featured prominently in the two events.

“Considering that hockey is our national game, attractive packages should have been announced by the Prime Minister soon after the successful performances put up by the national team, but so far nothing has happened to encourage the hardworking players.”

The hockey players were further dismayed by the fact that both cheques carrying handsome amounts of Rs5million and Rs20 million given by Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif to the team bounced when the bank raised an objection over the same.

“We are thankful for the chief minister of Punjab who invited us at a grand function but the prizemoney he announced for us is yet to be received,” the players disclosed.

“When we contacted the PHF, it informed us that the cheques of the Punjab government have bounced and the federation has no knowledge when new ones will be issued.”

“The players have a big target ahead of them now to win the 2014 World Cup. However, if no incentives will be given to the players and the same ordinary treatment is meted out to us by the authorities and the govt, it would discourage most of us which will not be good for the morale of the team,” they warned.