April 03, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 25, 1429

KARACHI, April 2: Olympian Sameer Hussain, who is also the coach of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) academy, has been “warned” after being caught representing another club without proper transfer in the ongoing inter-club hockey tournament.

The former Pakistan junior captain is originally a Hanif Khan XI Club member, but opted to represent National Club being run by the Pakistan junior coach Kamran Ashraf and physical trainer Irshad Haider.

However, while National Club has been scratched from the Ayub and Matlooob Baig tournament after a protest by Police team during the tournament, organisers only chose to “warn” the player for illegally playing from a different club.

Organising secretary Gulfaraz Ahmad on Wednesday said that since the player was a bit naďve to have played for another club without transfer, he had been pardoned with a simple warning.

But the seasoned organiser, who is also the PHF treasurer and secretary of Karachi Hockey Association (KHA), was rendered speechless when asked how an Olympian could be unaware of transfer rules of the clubs.

Sources, however, said Sameer had decided to play for National Club because of pressure from Kamran Ashraf. The player had initially claimed that his signatures on registration papers of Hanif Khan XI were fake before changing his stance, the sources said.

Ironically, Sameer has been deputed by PHF as a paid coach for school going youngsters at the PHF academy of Hockey Club of Pakistan.

Gulfaraz didn’t disclose what action he would recommend for Sameer, Kamran and Irshad as they have been involved in such malpractice despite serving on responsible positions and being former players.

“We will recommend action only when PHF will ask us for it,” he said without disclosing the details.