Daily Times

LAHORE: In a surprising move, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) – instead of investing on juniors – has called off Pakistan junior team’s tour to Argentina citing budget constraints due to a busy schedule of senior teams. Pakistan’s junior hockey team were scheduled to play a series in Argentina next month, but the PHF said on Friday that the tour had been called off. “As the PHF has decided to fully concentrate on the senior team, the junior side’s tour to Argentine has been cancelled. It would have been a very costly exercise, especially the air travel to Argentina,” said a spokesman for the PHF. “The PHF has sent a message of regret to the Argentine Hockey Confederation, who were quite keen to host Pakistan juniors,” added the spokesman.

According to the PHF, the financial burden on the federation was increased after the team were included in Champions Trophy and a three-nation tournament in Oman, which were not the part of national federation’s original calendar. “These two events, Champions Trophy and the Oman 3-Nation, were not part of the original annual calendar of the PHF. So the federation has to make some budgetary adjustments,” the PHF said.

It is surprising to see the hockey federation, instead of investing in the future of Pakistan hockey – the junior team, has decided to skip an important tour for juniors against the Olympic champions which
would have been provided them some significant experience.

Published in Daily Times, January 27^th 2018.