Punjab govt avoids PHF in giving awards to players

KARACHI: A lucrative cash prize for players who won two silver medals in back-to-back events in 2014 has been given to an Olympian by the Punjab government so that it can be distributed without any mismanagement, ‘The News’ has learnt.
The cash award is stated to be Rs7.2 million. Sources said the Punjab government had given the cheque to Olympian Khwaja Junaid.
Earlier, it had been decided that the cash awards would be given to the players during the prize distribution ceremony of Punjab Sports Festival on February 14, but many players were busy in the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup in Karachi.
Keeping in viewthe past experience, the provincial government chose to give the money to an Olympian instead of PHF. In 2012 when the Green-shirts had won the Asian Games Gold medal, the Punjab government decided to give them Rs5 million.
The PHF administration of that time said it would itself give the cash prizes to the players, but they have notgained any amount so far.