—File Photo

LAHORE: Former Olympian Manzoor Junior has lashed out at the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Qasim Zia for neglecting the hockey issues and for concentrating more on the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) election for its president’s post.

Talking to Dawn, the former captain who led the country to 1984 Olympics gold medal said: “The PHF President does not really care for the team’s preparations for the Olympics. While other countries have already announced their plans, there is no such final announcement from the PHF. Instead, the PHF chief is more involved in the POA elections.”

“I don’t know what has driven Qasim to go for the POA polls which is a bigger organization compared to the PHF. If he can’t run the PHF properly, despite having million of rupees at his disposal, what can he do for the promotion of sports in the POA which has some 40 affiliated units?” Manzoor argued.

“Qasim is also levelling charges about the election rules of the POA, but here I would like to know if he himself was elected as PHF president through any genuine election process. I can’t make any comment on the last PHF elections because the case is pending with a court of law,” he said.

Manzoor said instead of making efforts to raise a formidable team for this year’s Olympic Games, the PHF has conveniently handed all responsibilities to its Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel. But the coach has been away from the national team since last year’s Champions Trophy in Auckland and he has no sympathy with our hockey,” he said.

He lamented that while Pakistan would be facing its sternest test in the Olympics, the PHF appeared quite content after hosting a series against the lowly-rated China.

“Even against China, Pakistan’s performance was just marginal, raising eyebrows about their ability to do well against stronger teams,” he said.

When reminded the PHF was claiming to arrange a four-nation tournament in Pakistan sometime in March, Manzoor said every tournament for the team’s preparations should have been planned much earlier as the other countries had done it. “I think the PHF has made up its mind to go for the 7th place in the Olympics.”

Asked the PHF eyeing the victory stand in the Olympics, Manzoor called it a sweet dream.

When asked to comment on the recent PHF-Olympians stand-off, Manzoor said the former Olympians had submitted their replies to PHF’s legal notice in which they had refused to ask for pardon for making the allegations. “The PHF has not moved further on the matter which means the Olympians were right in their stance and in writing the letter to the PM.”

He disclosed that the Olympians had also given a good number of suggestions to improve the weaker areas of the national team but the PHF did not bother to heed them and went on to issue legal notices to disgrace the Olympians.