Pakistan gets formal invitation for Hockey Pro League

LAUSANNE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has received a formal invitation from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to participate in the prestigious Hockey Pro League.

The unexpected turn of events comes after Hockey New Zealand, despite winning the FIH Nations Cup last month, opted against participating in the upcoming Pro League season due to financial constraints.

New Zealand had been given a deadline of July 21 to confirm its participation, but officially withdrew today, citing significant budget cuts for the current Olympic cycle as the primary reason.

This decision mirrors an earlier move by New Zealand not to send their women's team to the Pro League due to similar financial limitations.

Similarly, the PHF has been the centre of financial turmoil since the Nations Cup, with national players still awaiting the issuance of their unpaid dues.

Sources revealed that each player is owed approximately Rs500,000 in unpaid daily allowances.

They also stated that there has been no progress on resolving the matter and that PHF officials have stopped responding altogether.

Sources further added that international daily allowances were not paid during the FIH Nations Cup, which has caused growing frustration among players. The continued silence from the federation has only added to their anger.

Furthermore, the players have also not received allowances for the training camps held in two phases in Islamabad.

Sources noted that players are entitled to Rs30,000 per day for international duties and Rs3,000 per day for domestic activities.