Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hockey head coach Shahnaz Sheikh has resigned from his post months after the national team failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in their history. The resignation came during a Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Congress meeting which was called on Thursday to give vote of confidence to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s nominee Brig (r) Mohammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar as new President of the national federation. The Congress unanimously endorsed Khalid as the new PHF chief. The meeting was required to be called as per PHF Constitution after the resignation of Akhtar Rasool. Akhtar had tendered his resignation on August 19, accepting responsibility for the Olympics debacle, and on that very day Khalid was nominated as new PHF President by the PHF Chief Patron, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. It was also decided in the meeting that PHF Secretary General Rana Mujahid Ali will maintain his position till 2018. The meeting, which was attended by 95 of the 105 members of the Congress, was held in Crown Plaza Hotel, Islamabad. Pakistan, who won Olympic gold in the sport three times and World Cup four times, finished eighth in the Olympic qualifying rounds in Belgium in July, and will now not take part in the Rio Olympics in 2016. The Congress also eulogised the services of Akhtar for running the national federation despite financial constraints.

Shahnaz said he had no pressure to resign. “I resigned for the betterment of hockey. “I had taken over the national hockey team at a difficult time. And during my period, Pakistan participated in four international fixtures, winning two silver medals,” Shahnaz added. Pakistan won silver medal in the Asian Games 2014 in South Korea and silver medal in the FIH Champions’ Trophy in India. Later talking to media, Khalid said that it was an uphill task to revive the national game but he would try to do it with the support of former Olympians and players. “We will make changes in the team with the passage of time and the team management will be announced in next couple of days,” he added. Replying a question, he said he would required a minimum of Rs.100 million to manage the basic needs of the national federation. “We cannot upgrade our national game without the support of the government. However, the PHF will not entirely focus on the government’s financial support. We will also generate money through sponsorship and other ways,” he maintained. Pakistan’s hockey has seen a serious slump since they won the 1994 world title in Australia. Pakistan finished last in the World Cup held in India in 2010, and have also failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in the Netherlands.