Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The tug of war between the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the Olympic Association (OA) has pushed the national game to the brink of disaster.

The war for power and privileges between the two has led to s humiliating status for the Pakistan hockey team that it has for the first time in its history a target of ridicule all over the world.

PHF president Brig Muhammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, and other office bearers had assumed the charge of their office one year before, but the game of hockey is facing a downfall — despite their tall claims.

Sources said Brig Muhammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar was given preference as he was close to the federal minister Ahsan Iqbal while he has no experience in hockey.

Talking to Daily Times on the collapse of the hockey game in Pakistan, former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh said, hockey could be promoted by playing this game at the maximum levels. “I gave many recommendations for thr promotion of hockey during my tenure as a hockey coach. But the then hockey federation took no concrete steps on the pretext of lack of funds. The office bearers of the incumbent federation have not been criticised since the last one year but even then its performance is next to nil.

He held only those games would progress when 75 percent of their budget was spent on pay and allowances. Thr federation is not lacking funds presently. Improvement can be brought in hockey by sending players on foreign tours.

Pakistan under-21 team is on the tour of Germany so that it could make preparations in connection with junior world cup to be held in India this year. But the team has not clinched any victory.

He stated that the training camp of the under-18 hockey team was organised at the hockey stadium in slamabad some days back but the norms of merit were trampled therein. Over 60 per cent players were included in the team who were overage. But no notice was taken by hockey federation.

The hockey federation was covering up its failures by giving “all ok” reports in the media.

The need of the hour is that differences between the PHF and the OA get settled for the sake of promotion of hockey in the country, he noted.