Junaid lashes out at PHF

ISLAMABAD: Former head coach Pakistan hockey team Khwaja Junaid has called for appointing a committee to monitor the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), saying that the federation’s decisions lacked depth and vision.

Talking to media here, Junaid said that the current PHF bosses had no foresight and that was the reason all stalwarts were reluctant to support them. “The current PHF has absolutely no criteria of selecting management and players for important assignments. Can anyone tell me why the management headed by Hanif Khan was shown the door? I was head coach of the team and the target I was given was to help the team qualify for the World Cup. Pakistan team will be there in the World Cup next year.”

Junaid revealed that it was PHF bosses who directed him not to include senior players. “I wanted to have some seniors, including Irfan, Rizwan Senior, Tauseeq and Rashid. The PHF bosses directed me to forget them. Now all these have been recalled. These PHF bosses have no vision. Unless a committee keeps check on the PHF working, I doubt any improvement can be seen,” he said.

“I have more than one secret about what has gone wrong in Pakistan hockey in the last two years. Do not force me to reveal those things. I think the PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar is not realising the gravity of the situation. He needs to take his decisions himself. Until he does so, things will keep going from bad to worse,” he said.

Junaid said that former greats like Samiullah and Manzoorul Hasan were repeatedly refusing offers to join PHF in any capacity. “They are very clear. They know that things are not rosy in all departments in PHF. Their joining the federation would make no difference. No sane former player under the present circumstances will join the PHF.”