country due to law and order situation as no foreign hockey team is interested in coming here,” he said.
“We demanded Rs500 million grant for PHF which is not a big amount for the national game,” he said.
Rana said that COAS Raheel Sharif had assured PHF that Pakistan Army would help the national game as they organised a big hockey tournament. Corps commander Karachi would resolve the issue of lease of Hockey Club of Pakistan, (HCP), he said.
He assured the members of national hockey team that their financial issues would be resolved soon.
He vowed that preparation for qualifying rounds of Rio Olympics would not be affected, and the team would play a number of international matches before the qualifying rounds in Belgium.
Chairman selection committee Islahuddin said people were looking towards PM Nawaz Sharif for resolving the financial issues of national hockey, so that Green-shirts could enter the Olympics with full preparation.
He expressed surprise on the number of postponements of the meeting of the team members and officials with the PM.
Chief coach Shahnaz Sheikh said it seemed promotion of sports was not a priority of the government. He reminded the authorities that Pakistan hockey team had won 52 medals and out of them 25 were gold. “But our players are deprived of their salaries and other benefits,” he added.
On the occasion, Nadeem announced forming Omar Associates’ hockey team.
He said hockey had given the country recognition all over the world, so the affluent people should help this game.
Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Siddiqui said no one should be demoralised and that the government always worked for the promotion of sports.
Former cricketers Mushtaq Muhammad and Salahuddin, and captain of national hockey team Muhammad Imran also addressed.
Wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed who had arrived from Australia earlier in the day also participated in the ceremony and expressed his wishes for the hockey team and thanked the nation for supporting him.
Later, cash awards and gold medals were distributed among the members of the national hockey team by Nadeem Omar and others.