LAHORE, July 8: Olympian Saleem Nazim has demanded of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president to sack secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan for poor performance of Pakistan team in the Junior World Cup in the Netherlands.
“The mismanagement and the game of musical chairs of the team management by the secretary during the last three years for the World Cup resulted in debacle for which he (secretary) is responsible,” Saleem said on Friday.
Saleem, also a former member of the national selection committee and former Punjab Hockey Association secretary, alleged an amount of Rs100 million was spent on the preparations of the junior team for the World Cup in the last three years.
Pakistan team failed to qualify for the semifinals and could only won against minnows Belgium 3-1 and Chile 2-1 but lost to Australia 3-2.
In the second phase Pakistan lost to Germany 2-0, were held 1-1 by Argentina. A 2-1 victory over Malaysia was the only consolation which could not help much.
“The changes in the team management several times by the secretary for the junior team played a major role in the poor results.”
Saleem claimed Musarrat first appointed the team management with Olympian Ayaz Mehmood and Qamar Ibraheem as coaches then started the musical chairs making quick changes by appointing Col Abdur Rauf, Jehangir Butt, Tahir Zaman, Asif Bajwa, Ikhlaq Ahmad and Jan Mohammad.
He said Tahir Zaman had been again appointed coach with Khawaja Junaid and Kamran Ashraf.
“The people who were expecting the gold medal after such a bad planning were living in fool’s paradise,” he said.
He said during Musarrat’s tenure the national team participated in 20 tournaments but could win only in Azlan Shah Cup which was an invitational tournament.
Saleem declared that the secretary would not tender resignation, therefore, he should be sacked as he did nothing but ruin the sport.
He also said that the secretary had been enjoying full powers during the tenure of former president PHF General Aziz Khan and he was still taking liberty as new president Tariq Kirmani also had no time for hockey.
The former Olympian also demanded the government to remove Kirmani and appoint those who had enough time for the game.
Saleem accused the secretary, instead of planning for the senior World Cup in 2006, had now started planning of re-election for the next term.
He pointed out that those who had revolted against the PHF administration before Atlanta Olympics in 1996, including Shahbaz Ahmad, Tahir Zaman, Rana Mujahid, Asif Bajwa, Khwaja Junaid, Naveed Alam, Qamar Ibraheem, Kamran Ashraf, were promoted by Musarrat.