FIH chief visits Pakistan, pledges support to PHF

KARACHI: The newly elected present of International Hockey Federation (FIH) Tayyab Ikram is visiting Pakistan and has met PHF secretary Haider Hussain, and assured him that FIH would provide all possible help and support for development of the game in Pakistan.

“Pakistan has a golden history in this game and we hope that once again Pakistan will emerge at the international level. FIH will provide help to Pakistan to come out of the current difficult phase,” said Tayyab, while talking to The News from Lahore.

He said that various steps would be discussed with PHF for the development of hockey through Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) and FIH in near future. Tayyab contested the election from his hometown Lahore as FIH General Council meeting was organised online. He informed this scribe that he played hockey for Shadman club in Lahore and represented Lahore division and Punjab in domestic hockey.

“The National Associations are the backbone of any International Federation. Actually, let’s not forget that International Federations were created by the National Associations and not the other way round. The same goes for FIH. Therefore, it’s our duty to get closer to the National Associations, to listen to their issues, challenges . . . for the growth of our beloved sport,” said Tayyab.

“It’s clear that the overall lack of financial resources impacts negatively the expansion of hockey. However, since we have the potential to grow our sport – in terms of participation but also fanbase – therefore we have the potential to grow our resources accordingly. This has absolute priority! After a couple of really challenging years, the FIH finances are stable again. So, I’m positive that we can continue improving on this side,” he said.

“Being an Olympic sport gives hockey a dimension and financial resources which are essential for the growth of our sport. It goes without saying that I will use all my knowledge . . . to not only maintain but also reinforce our position with the Olympic family. Being an Olympic sport is a tremendous help to reach our growth potential,” Tayyab added.