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KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation President Qasim Zia, showing his disgust at constantly being blamed for assisting in human trafficking under the PHF umbrella, demanded an unconditional apology from the 13 Olympians for accusing him and Secretary Asif Bajwa of such wrongdoing or else prepare for a tough court battle.
'I think this matter can only be decided in the court of law,' said a visibly annoyed Qasim Zia at a packed press conference called at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) here on Wednesday.
'We are here to promote hockey and not to answer such absurd notions. But now there is this tag of human trafficking attached to us that has to be cleared in order to clean our record,' he announced.
The 13 former Olympians namely Shahnaz Sheikh, Khalid Mahmood, Saleem Sherwani, Islahuddin, Ayaz Mahmood, Samiullah, Saleem Nazim, Qamar Ibrahim, Qamar Zia, Saeed Khan, Mohammad Ayaz, Tahir Zaman and Naveed Alam had written a letter to PHF patron Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani last month in which they had mentioned the factors hurting the national game which included the charge of smuggling people in the garb of hockey players to foreign countries.
'It is okay to criticize the federation about the team's performance, but it is something else if you accuse them of illegal activities. We will not tolerate this,' Qasim Zia stressed.
When informed that the 13 Olympians had only mentioned what had already been debated in the Senate and National Assemblyand this row was only an attempt to shift the focus of the team's poor show in the Champions Trophy, PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa said: 'The team finished seventh in the Champions Trophy this time, but please ask these ex-Olympians how the team fared in the previous editions when they were in the saddle as team coaches, managers, selectors, etc.On the subject of Champions T r o p h y , Qasim Zia also clarified that he neversaid he was satisfied with the team's performance in the event.
'You can take out that clip, too, if you like. I had said that I was satisfied with the way the Green Shirts created chances to score against big teams. But it was a shame that they couldn't score due to poor finishing,' he lamented.
About the team's preparation fortheir next big event, the London Olympics, the PHF President said: 'We have a comprehensive plan where we are talking with another country about a possible tournament with them in March or April, details of which I cannot give right away. Then there is the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May, too.
'You have to understand,' he continued, 'the PHF had the AsianGames as its first target, which was a c h ie v e d when our team was said to be noteven good enough to win a tea cup returned with the gold medal.
'This time our target is to reach the podium at the Olympics.
Realistically speaking, I expect the boys to at least reach the semifinals in London. Later, we have our eyes set on the 2014 World Cup, too, said Qasim. 'But first things first, we are all set for a legal battlewith the 13 Olympians to clear our name,' he said.
Asked what will they get out of the court battle and if this was a power struggle between them and the big names of hockey in Pakistan, Qasim Zia said: 'None of the 13 are even part of the PHF Congress, so the question of a power struggle with them doesn't even arise here. Still if they want to be a part of the federation, they should come through a process after running for elections in their regions,' he suggested.
Meanwhile, one of the 13 Olympians facing the defamation law suit, former national team coach Olympian Naveed Alam said that the PHF was welcome to take the matter to court as they have no intention of apologising to them.
Reacting to all that the PHF President had said, Naveed was of the opinion that Qasim Zia was protecting 'wrongdoers' by issuing such statements.
'He is unnecessarily protecting these people involved in all kinds of weird activities,' he said. 'As for us, we have all owned up to writing that letter to the prime minister of Pakistan.
'The PHF elections have been challenged in the Lahore High Court and these people who are so happy to be a part of thefederation's Congress are all there illegally. With that matter not even settled as yet, Qasim Zia is now all set to contest the POA elections, and with the Olympics just five months away,' he pointed out.
'There are so many complains and cases against the PHF in court already, so this case that they are threatening us with will be in addition to those and we will fight this one out on the basis of the other cases. So yes, let the matter go to court now. And let the court decide who should apologise to whom,' he retorted.
