LAHORE: Getting firm in its policy stance, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has warned all the players who have signed any contract with India’s unrecognised World Series of Hockey (WSH) to announce their disassociation from it before the selection of national squad for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, or else they will face severe punishment.

Talking to Dawn, Secretary PHF Asif Bajwa said all the probables, who were attending the ongoing camp in Islamabad for the Azlan Shah Cup, had been conveyed the strict message by manager Khawaja Junaid to pronounce their complete disassociation from any such contest before the selection, due on April 28.

“My warning is also for those who are not attending the national camp, not to join any controversial league as it will close the doors on them for all international hockey in and outside Pakistan,” Bajwa stated.

Bajwa added he did not know the exact number of players who had signed contract with the WSH, but added there was information that three players at the national camp – Rehan Butt, Mohammad Wasim and Shakeel Abbasi – plus former Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf, Adnan Maqsood and discarded Mohammad Saqlain were included in the list.

Zeeshan, who has been complaining about not having permanent employment while working on contract at the NBP and who withdrew from the Azlan Shah Cup to take rest, is likely to go with Saqlain to join the controversial WSH. Zeeshan has already put a question mark on his career after joining a political party along with Saqlain.

“The FIH has already warned all its affiliated countries to discourage any controversial league, and under its instructions the players will not be permitted to feature in any tournament world over; we will also not allow such players to even represent their departments in domestic competitions,” the PHF official remarked.

Bajwa said Rehan, Shakeel and Wasim had assured the team manager that they would not join any such league, adding discipline breach would not be tolerated as the PHF was obligated to follow FIH instructions.

When reminded the PHF had already given players strict warning and whether the federation would take any action against them only for joining the WSH (despite the warning), Bajwa clarified the PHF had said if any player featured in a controversial competition — and not upon only joining it — he would face stern punishment.

On Jan 24, the FIH sent a letter to all its member countries regarding a reported new league in India. The proposed league is a joint venture of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and a marketing company.

The FIH in its letter had claimed that the IHF was a member of the Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC). The IHC’s membership of the FIH had been withdrawn some two years ago for failing to comply with the FIH statutes.

Subsequently, Hockey India (HI) was formed and was formally admitted as a FIH member at the 2008 Congress. HI is now the only body governing hockey in India, recognised by the FIH and the Indian Olympic Association.The FIH has announced that it will not recognise the WSH, cautioning any player participating in the WSH may render himself ineligible to feature in any FIH-recognised contest including Olympic qualifiers and Olympic Games.

The FIH advised the HI several months before the announcement of the WSH to establish a professional league in India.

There are unconfirmed reports that HI is working on an official league on the pattern of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

But as Pakistan cricketers are not featuring the IPL, some of Pakistan’s hockey players fear that they may not be the part of the HI league on political basis too.

Therefore, they reckon, it is better to join the WSH to earn money as many of these players are on the verge of retirement.