LAHORE, Oct 3: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Rana Mujahid has said that he won’t be responsible for any defeat as he has transferred all powers to senior and junior team managements.

Announcing draws for the NBP Gold Cup hockey tournament during a news conference here on Thursday, the PHF secretary said: “The PHF will transfer all required powers to managements of the two teams regarding selection,” adding that he won’t interfere with the teams’ affairs.

However, the secretary said in the same breath that players as well as both the managements will be held fully responsible for their defeats having transferred powers to them.

“If a goalkeeper concedes easy goals, how could planning of any coach be successful?” he questioned while saying that individuals putting the team in trouble would be held responsible.

“And if a wrong team is picked, the team management would be held responsible,” clarified Rana Mujahid.

“No player will be allowed to take his selection in the national team for granted because of his high profile,” maintained the PHF secretary who took the charge from Asif Bajwa after the latter resigned in the wake of the national team’s poor performance in the last Asia Cup.

Furthermore, he claimed that the PHF had taken measures in connection with accountability which would be implemented strictly.

He said the Pakistan Hockey Federation wanted to bring back international hockey to Pakistan and for the purpose it had invited Malaysia by assuring them all facilities but the federation was still awaiting any positive reply.

To yet another question, he said though members of the committee probing performance of the national team in the last Asia Cup had submitted its reports, actions had already been taken before submission of the report.

Pakistan played the Asia Cup under a must-win situation since they had to win it to qualify for next year’s World Cup but they only managed to secure third position failing for the first time to appear in the mega event.

About Olympian Naveed Alam’s news conference where he criticised the PHF management, Rana Mujahid said he believed that Naveed was not well-informed and thus won’t make any comment.

It is instructive to note that Naveed had demanded that the next PHF elections should be organised by an election commissioner to be appointed by the prime minister who is patron-in-chief of the PHF and not by anyone appointed by the Qasim Zia-led PHF.

The PHF head has appointed Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid as election commissioner to conduct PHF elections.