LAHORE: In a major setback for Pakistan’s national game, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) withdrew the hosting rights of the Olympic qualifying round from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Tuesday.

The qualifying event was to be held in January next year in Lahore.

“The FIH communicated this decision to the Pakistan Hockey Federation, citing non-cooperation and interference in the affairs of the PHF [by the government] as the primary reasons for the withdrawal. The FIH has withdrawn [the] hosting rights from Pakistan due to serious concerns,” said a PHF press release issued on Tuesday.

“International events necessitate government cooperation and support, provided by Pakistan’s government, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, and the Pakistan Sports Board. Organising an event like the Olympic Qualifier without the Government of Pakistan’s support is impossible. Hence, the hosting of the Olympic qualifier event in Pakistan is being withdrawn,” the release added.

“The PHF had secured the hosting rights for the 2024 Olympic Qualifier event on a global scale, marking their return to such a prestigious event since the 1990 World Cup and the 1994 Champions Trophy. The PHF had been diligently preparing for this opportunity. However, it is worth noting that India had voiced significant reservations regarding Pakistan’s role as host of the Olympic qualifier event. Former FIH president Narendra Batra had openly criticised Pakistan’s hosting decision and raised his concerns regarding the state of hockey infrastructure in Lahore.”

Meanwhile, PHF secretary Haider Hussain regretted the FIH decision.

“It is a disappointing decision for Pakistan hockey as we had done hard work to get the event from the FIH. It [Olympic qualifying event] could have revived international hockey in Pakistan, besides giving the country a better opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said PHF secretary Haider Hussain while talking to Dawn.

“Yes, India was against the allocation of this event to Pakistan, but who played the negative role of interfering in PHF affairs, which eventually resulted in making India happy?” he asked.

“The PHF did its best to get the Olympic qualifier and the last date to deposit the FIH fee for this event, which was around Rs15 million, was Aug 31 but our bank accounts were seized on Aug 28 on the advice of the PSB, so that we could not pay the FIH dues,” the secretary recalled.

“The PHF had also successfully completed negotiations with the Lahore Corps Commander office and DHA Lahore to provide sponsorship for the Olympic qualifying round for which a ceremony to sign the MoUs was to be held.

“But the PHF at this crucial juncture was forced to get involved in a no-confidence motion against me while the FIH was monitoring our infighting which made a case against the PHF and subsequently led to the withdrawal of the [Olympic] qualifying event by the FIH,” he said.

Due to the same attitude of the PSB, Haider feared, the country soon might also be deprived of the hosting rights of next year’s South Asian Games because “the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and the PSB in this regard are not on the same page while the time is running short.”

Haider said it was likely that the FIH would now allocate the Olympic qualifying event to India.

“Whenever some positive development in the country’s hockey sector emerges, anti-hockey lobbies start a campaign just to protect their vested interests,” the PHF secretary lamented.

On the no-confidence motion tabled against him, Haider underlined that those who were on the forefront in the campaign against him, including Akhtar Rasool, Asif Bajwa, Rana Mujahid and Shahbaz Senior, were not even members of the PHF Congress to give their vote against him.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2023