Federal govt releases Rs25m for hockey team’s India tour

KARACHI: The federal government has approved Rs25 million to help Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) bear the expenditure of the senior team's training for and participation in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 to be held in Chennai, India, 'The News' learnt on Sunday.

The 7th Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled in August, is important considering that Pakistan are also to compete in the Asian Games just after it, which will be the qualifying rounds for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sources cited the junior team's brilliant performance in the recently-concluded Junior Asia Cup in Oman as the reason behind the federal government's providing PHF with financial help. Pakistan qualified for the Junior Hockey World Cup to be held in December in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Pakistan senior hockey team’s training is starting from Monday (today). Sources in the team management said that on the very first day all players will undergo a fitness test.

The sources mentioned that those players who failed to pass the fitness test would be given 10 days to improve their fitness and appear again for the test. The sources mentioned that these players would remain in the training camp.

Our correspondent from Islamabad adds:

“We have decided to support the federation in players' training and preparation for the India event that falls just a month prior to the start of the Asian Games to be held in China,” an official said. “Victory in the Asian Games will ensure Pakistan a place in the Olympics to be held next year in Paris," he added.

He hoped that the amount would be spent in the best possible way to train and help players make the best use of their abilities in the Champions Trophy and later in the Asian Games. “Minister IPC Ehsanur Rehman Mazari always tries to extend full support to players where it is necessary,” the official said.

When the PSB official was asked whether the junior team’s daily allowances would also be paid, he said that the grant would cover everything. “The grant is well enough to cover all the expenses. Yet, if we feel necessary after looking at the expenditures, we could well look into that,” he said.