ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hockey coach Shahnaz Sheikh and captain Mohammad Imran on Thursday informed the probe committee into the team’s failure to qualify for next year’s Olympics that it was due to insufficient funding and lack of proper patronage from the government.

The probe committee formed by the government has been tasked with finding out the reasons for Pakistan’s dismal showing at the Hockey World League semi-finals in Belgium and on Thursday, it recorded the statements of top Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials along with the team captain.

Pakistan needed to finish at least fifth at the HWL semi-finals to have an outside chance to qualify for next year’s Games in Rio de Janeiro but the eighth-place finish means the three-time Olympic champions miss out on the extravaganza for the first time in their history.

The six-member probe committee met here at Pakistan Sports Complex with its chairman, Federal Secretary Ejaz Chaudhry in the chair. The other members of the committee, Col Mudassar, Shahbaz Senior, Khawaja Junaid and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, also attended the meeting.

Shahnaz submitted a 20-page report to the committee, in which he highlighted the fact that led to the debacle and according to him, lack of funding resulted in uncertainty over the team’s participation in the HWL semi-finals.

“Apart from lack of funding, there was no proper patronage on the part of government and as a result the players were under physiological pressure,” he said.

The head coach told Dawn that he informed the committee members that due to PHF’s financial crisis, it was unable to provide food supplement and energy drinks to players during training sessions.

In his report he also mentioned that the team was not provided required training sessions and international matches. “It was our plan to reach Belgium a month before the tournament but we went there just four days prior to the event,” he said.

Shahnaz also gave some suggestions to committee to improve the fast-declining game.

He recommended special focus be paid towards domestic hockey, particularly at grass-roots levels, and added that a Super League be introduced in the country to attract young players.

In his report, the former Olympian acknowledged that players did not live up to his expectations. “We got almost 70 scoring chances, but we could score only nine goals which is an alarming sign,” he acknowledged.

He also informed the committee, that the artificial turf at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium — where players held training sessions — should also be blamed for poor results as several players were injured due to the condition of the turf.

Speaking to reporters, the head coach added that there was no truth to reports of his resignation. “I am the head coach and will continue performing my job till the next year,” he clarified.

Besides Shahnaz, captain Imran, PHF president Akhtar Rasool and secretary Rana Mujahid also appeared before the probe committee.

Imran also blamed the government, saying the players were “uncertain about their futures as government is not providing us with job security and financial support”.

Talking to Dawn, Akhtar and Rana said the PHF could not be held solely responsible for debacle as there were several other reasons behind their Olympic failure.

Akhtar Rasool added that according to International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) rules, government could not suspend the country’s hockey governing body.

“The FIH protects our right and government cannot interfere in the PHF affairs,” he said. “But the government is supposed to provide required funding.”

IPC secretary Ejaz Chaudhry, meanwhile, said the committee is to “submit recommendations for improving the national game” and quashed reports about the appointment of former prime minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali as the PHF president.

“These all are rumours and speculations,” he said, assuring that within three months a new Astro Truf would be laid at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2015

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