ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s nominee retired Brig Khalid Khokhar as president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation received the vote of confidence from the PHF Congress here on Thursday.

The members at the extraordinary Congress meeting endorsed Khalid’s nomination and guaranteed him of their full support in uplifting the standard of the national game.

Khalid was nominated for the post of president on Aug 21 by the prime minister, who is also PHF patron-in-chief, in place of Akhtar Rasool who tendered his resignation recently.

Shahnaz Sheikh’s resignation accepted

During the meeting attended by 86 out of 108 members, national team head coach Shahnaz Sheikh submitted his resignation to the newly appointed president, which was accepted.

Shahnaz resigned while following in the footsteps of Akhtar Rasool who quit the post recently due to national team’s shameful performance in Belgium, resulting in Pakistan — former world hockey giants — failing to make Olympics for the first time.

While acknowledging the services rendered by Shahnaz, Khalid said: “Reviving the national game is an uphill task but I will try to do it with the support of former Olympians and players. The new [team] management will be announced in the coming days.”

He further said that there was a need of around Rs100 million to take steps for promoting the national game. “Besides government funding, the PHF will look to generate finance through sponsorships too.

“And in order to fully restore hockey in Pakistan, we will also make full efforts to host foreign teams.”

The Congress meeting surprised the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) officials, when former PHF secretary Asif Bajwa proposed the continuation of the tenure of the federation secretary Rana Mujahid.

The house applauded the proposal, giving an impression that Mujahid should continue working.

However, sources said that the meeting had been convened to discuss one-point agenda — i.e. vote of confidence for prime minister’s nominee — and that’s why there was no legal standing of the (perceived) vote of confidence for Mujahid.

“I’m surprised how Mujahid managed to get the confidence of the Congress members, though Bajwa’s proposal has no legal standing; but this indicates that Mujahid will create problem when the newly appointed president will try to remove him,” said a senior PSB official, who requested not to be named.

The official further said the government had decided to remove the incumbent secretary from his post come what may.

What if PHF Congress did not allow the government to remove the secretary, the official said: “Actually, the government is convinced that both Akhtar and Mujahid are equally responsible for the team’s pathetic show. I think Mujahid will have to submit his resignation.”

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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