PSB miserably failed to serve athletes, says Zahir

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Hockey Association President Zahir Shah called on the administration of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to work for upgradation of the system and welfare of the athletes rather creating hurdles by not investing in upgradation of facilities and to help budding players sharpen their skills.

Zahir in a video message to sports scribes was critical of the PSB’s handling of the recently organised National Junior Hockey Championship at the Naseer Bunda Ground. “My (KPK) teams kept standing for hours outside the PSB Hostel to get into their rooms as the doors were locked. They took their lunch while sitting on the roads. It left a bad impact on team’s performance.

The PSB Hostel offers filthy boarding and lodging facilities to the athletes and that should be a matter of grave concern for the administration,” Zahir said. The KPK Hockey Association president added that the PSB should refrain from creating hurdles for athletes.

“The basic purpose of the PSB’s establishment was to facilitate the athletes and federations in their efforts to raise overall standard of the game. Instead of facilitating, hurdles are being created for athletes and federations.”

Zahir Shah, a reputed figure among the hockey circles, said he had been serving the game through thick and thin. “I am president of the KPK Hockey and serving in honourary capacity. I kept the game of hockey alive in the province even when the federal and provincial government refused to support the game. I invested millions of rupees from my own pocket to help players pursue the game. That was the reason why we have started resurfacing on the international hockey horizon. No one is there to support the game financially. We are doing it for the love of the game.”

He claimed that all the efforts were going to waste. “Those officials are being inducted in the PSB who have no background in the game and sports. Only those officials should be posted at the PSB who know sports and the value of sportsmen.”

Zahir revealed that soon he would be writing letters to the President Asif Zardari and the prime minister, requesting them to look into the PSB’s affairs and to appoint athlete-friendly officials instead of those having no knowledge about sports.

“All these facilities coming under the PSB’s umbrella are meant for the national athletes. PM Shehbaz Sharif is a sports lover and has already instructed to open up facilities for the athletes. Sadly, nothing has been done so far,” he added.

All the efforts to get PSB’s point of view including that of Yasir Peerzada went fruitless. Once the PSB would furnish its point of view it would be published as it is.