LAHORE The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), while withdrawing former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui and Col (retd) Mudassar Asghar from different committees of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has nominated another five individuals for various posts in the international body.

PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa confirmed that the names of Islah (Rule Board) and Mudassar (Competition Committee) had been withdrawn.

'The PHF has recommended the names of Hasan Sardar (Athlete), Rana Mujahid (Rule Board, in place of Islah), myself (Competition, in place of Mudassar), Shahbaz Sr, (Development and Coaching), Pervaiz Bhindara (Marketing) for the various committees but it is not necessary that all will be elected,' he said.

Bajwa said that the change was made due to the PHF's wish to have those people in the FIH, who were already working with the federation as they could perform better that way.

However, it is a fact that Islah, who has been associated with the FIH since 1993 as a member of the Rule Board is also on the PHF's Executive Board.

When contacted, Islah, who was also unwell recently, told Dawn that he was not in a position to make any comments.

'I am still recovering after my angioplasty and have no information about this. Even if the PHF has taken such a step, I have not been made aware of it by them,' Islah said.

Meanwhile, when Bajwa was asked if the different role would affect Rana Mujahid's performance, he said that he had so far only worked with the PHF as a member of the senior selection committee and director operations but, he added, 'Rana Mujahid is quite capable of playing a positive role. He is doing a good job which is also why he is on board. It is also a misperception that the PHF is giving him a number of roles,' the secretary said.

He said that Mujahid in the past had organised three tournaments in his home city Faisalabad from his own pocket for which the previous management did not even compensate him.

To yet another question, he said that the PHF had not received any invitation from the Senate Standing Committee on Sports to appear before it on Feb 23.

'We will go to apprise the members about our achievements and future programmes and will seek their guidance on how to improve the working, after getting an official invitation from them,' he said.

Asif, who is also the manager of the Pakistan team for the next Asia Cup, said that a long-term team management would be announced after the event.

Asif was given the additional charge after Ayaz Mahmood failed to get a release from his department, PIA, for which he worked as station manager in Moscow, to join the PHF as the head coach.