LAHORE: After the International Hockey Federation (FIH) suspended Pakistan from the inaugural Pro Hockey League, the national training camp here at the National Hockey Stadium was brought to an abrupt close on Thursday.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), which was required to confirm its participation in the Pro League to the FIH by Wednesday, failed to arrange sufficient funds for the team’s air travel and accommodation in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, and thus withdrew from the league on Wednseday.

Earlier, Pakistan were scheduled to open their Pro League campaign with back-to-back games against Argentina Feb 2 and 3 in Cordoba.

Responding swiftly, the FIH suspended Pakistan from this year’s league which is scheduled to continue until June.

Pakistan team’s assistant coach Danish Kaleem told Dawn that the training camp was wrapped up on the instructions of PHF president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, adding the players had returned to their homes after receiving their dues.

According to the FIH reports: “The Pakistan Hockey Federation informed the FIH today [late Wednesday] that they were no longer able to play their first three games planned against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, citing inevitable circumstances.

“Subsequently, in accordance with the assertion, the Worldwide Hockey Federation has taken the choice to drop the Asian country from the 2019 FIH Pro League in order to not jeopardise the regularity and the graceful supply of the occasion.”

Meanwhile, PHF associate secretary Ayaz Mahmood told Dawn that though the FIH had barred Pakistan from the league, he was not in a position to confirm more repercussion of the development.

“The FIH could also impose cash penalty, besides suspending Pakistan from all international activities for two years,” Ayaz cautioned.

“The PHF had informed the Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination in detail about all the expenditures, which were required by us to participate in the Pro League on Jan 3, but [unfortunately] it did not take any step to address the matter,” he lamented.

“Different governments over the years had been helping out the PHF in its endeavours to feature in international events. So, what has gone wrong with it now,” he wondered.

The national camp — organised for the Pro League — had been in progress at the outer ground of the National Hockey Stadium since Jan 2.

In the first leg of the league, Pakistan were scheduled to play Argentina, Australia and New Zealand till Feb 24.

According to reports, the PHF needed Rs30 million to meet the expenses of participation in the league but it failed to generate the required funds. Furthermore, it appears, the federal government also showed apathy towards all the appeals made by the cash-strapped PHF for a special grant.

Meanwhile, former Olympians Manzoor Senior, Samiullah and Col Mudassar Asghar criticised the PHF for the country’s suspension from the Pro League.

“The Pro League suspension is a result of PHF management’s complete failure in handling the affairs,” Manzoor told Dawn.

“The PHF had received funds from Sindh government as well as from a private sponsor before the [2018] World Cup, and [therefore] it should have saved required money for the Pro League to avoid the humiliation of suspension. Lack of planning by the federation is quite visible here.”

Terming the Pro League suspension a bad moment for Pakistan hockey and its players, Samiullah held the PHF solely responsible for the development.

“The PHF has failed to give any comprehensive activity plan to the federal government to get the funds. If the PHF had [planned] to send the team to the Pro League two years ago, it should have arranged funds for it much before,” Samiullah said while talking to Dawn.

He also urged the federal government to immediately impose ad hoc on the PHF for six months and appoint competitive man to take control of the country’s hockey affairs.

“The government should intervene, otherwise hockey will not survive in the country,” warned Samiullah. “The Pakistan hockey players are the biggest losers in the entire episode.”

Col Mudassar, the ex-federation secretary, slammed the PHF regime for yet another blow to Pakistan hockey in the form of Pro League suspension.

“Since day one the incumbent PHF body has never shown seriousness in [properly] running the game of hockey as Pakistan suffered debacle after debacle during the last three and a half years.”

He said the FIH decision to suspend Pakistan meant that the country might not be able to feature in the 2020 Olympics because the Pro League is also a qualifying round for the mega event. “The FIH could also impose cash penalty on the PHF,” he feared.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2019