LAHORE: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Tuesday ensured its full sponsorship for the national hockey team to participate in the all-important Olympics Games qualifying round, to be held in Belgium later this month which prompted the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to announce the trials in Islamabad on June 11 and 12 to select the final team for the qualifiers.

Although the PHF had been appealing for the last two years to get funds from the government as well as from some of the private sponsors, the campaign had met with a poor response which had jeopardised the national team’s participation in the qualifiers.

However, on Tuesday the PSB finally responded to the federation’s request and decided to extend a helping hand in sending the team to Belgium. The qualifying round is to be held from June 20 to July 5 and a national training camp is already in progress at Islamabad with the help of the PSB.

In his reaction, secretary PHF Rana Mujahid welcomed the decision but added that had the decision been taken earlier it would have allowed the Pakistan team to prepare well for the event in Belgium.

“Anyhow, the PHF welcomes the decision of the PSB for supporting us and now there is no hurdle in the participation of the national team in the qualifying round,” Rana Mujahid told Dawn. “The PHF will even welcome the PSB if it wants to sponsor the PHF on event-to-event basis, but we will be grateful if a decision in this regard is taken at a right time.”

“The PHF is ever ready if the government wants the financial monitoring of the federation, but the game should not suffer at any cost,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PHF issued a press statement on Tuesday which states: “The Pakistan hockey team will participate in the Hockey World League semifinals, to be played in Antwerp, Belgium from June 20 to July 5, 2015.

“The trials to select the final line-up will be held at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Jinnah Sports Complex, Islamabad June 11 and 12 at 1700 hours each day. The trials will be watched by the national selection committee chairman Islahuddin Siddiqui and members Arshad Ali Chawdhry, Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Musaddiq Hussain,” the press release said.

Earlier, a press communication issued by the PSB stated: “The PHF has informed the PSB about the acute financial constraints being faced by them. Pakistan hockey team has to play Olympics Qualification Round in Belgium from June 14 to July 6, 2015.

“Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have decided to sponsor the visit of Pakistan hockey team to participate in the Qualifying Round in Belgium. The expenditure in this regard will be met out from its regular budget. PSB will bear all expenses of the team’s return airfare, hotel charges and daily allowances.

“Pakistan hockey team will consist of 18 players and four officials for participation in the Fintro Hockey World League Semi Finals at Antwerp, Belgium from June 14 to July 5. Prior to the qualifiers, Pakistan hockey team will also play practice matches with the Ireland team on June 16-18, 2015.

“This extra-ordinary measure is to ensure the participation of Pakistan hockey team in the next Olympics in Brazil and to meet the expectations of the Pakistan hockey fans. The Ministry and the PSB wish good luck to the Pakistan hockey team,” it concluded.

It may be mentioned here that since the last one year the federal government has been expressing its reservations over the misuse of funds by the PHF but it has not yet appointed any auditor to look into the PHF financials to reach a conclusion.

In the last meeting of the PSB Executive Board, many representatives of the national sports federations and President Pakistan Olympic Association Lt. Gen. (retd.) Arif Hasan had supported the demand of the PHF, even at the cost of cutting the grants of the national sports federations because hockey is the national game and has earned many laurels for the country in the past.

It is also a fact that only hockey has the potential to qualify for the Olympics Games since the standard of sports in Pakistan in general has been deteriorating over the past two decades.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2015

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