The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is at risk of being suspended by the FIH as it struggles to fulfill its promise to send its men’s national team to the FIH Nations Cup, a qualifying tournament for the Pro League. On Saturday, many prominent former captains and Olympians, including Islahuddin Siddiqui, Samiullah, Asif Bajwa, Rana Mujahid, Rasheed ul Hasan, Manzoor junior, Hasan Sardar, among others, appealed to the government to release funds for the PHF so that it his team to Potchefstroom in South Africa.
The FIH Nations Cup is scheduled to start on November 28 and the PHF has made it clear that if Pakistan is unable to send its team for any reason, it will face a possible ban and a heavy financial sanction from the world organization state.
In 2019, the FIH had fined the PHF 170,000 euros for not sending its team to Argentina’s inaugural Pro Hockey League.
Poor PHF only managed to pay the fine in installments.
A senior PHF official said Pakistan had recently participated in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia after the federation succeeded in raising funds through donations and some sponsorship because the government failed to release funds.
“We are in a very bad situation because now we don’t have the money to send the team to South Africa and if we can’t do that, the FIH can not only suspend us but also impose a heavy fine,” he said. he. .
Another source said Pakistan’s foreign coach, Dutchman Siegfried Aikman, was also not happy with the situation.
“He is upset because these financial problems are hindering the development and progress of the team that won the bronze medal in the Azlan Shah Cup.
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The government and its sports department, the Pakistan Sports Council, have refused to release any money to the PHF because they have appointed a commission of inquiry to hold new elections.
The government also failed to recognize the recent PHF elections in which Brigadier (Retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokar was re-elected after nearly 10 years in power.
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