PHF puts POA in catch 22

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has left the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) in a catch 22 situation due to poor administrative work with the Commonwealth Games organisers setting a 24-hour deadline to meet the requirements or face hockey axe from the extravaganza.

‘The News’ learnt from well-placed sources on Wednesday that the PHF as a second thought made almost 60 percent changes in the list of team and officials at the eleventh hour. This decision has made it difficult for the POA to get fresh accreditation for the new players and officials so close to the start of the Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in the Australian city of Gold Coast from April 4-15.For athletes and officials the Games organisers had set November 24 as the deadline for online accreditation.

The POA had already intimated the sports federations to meet the deadline and accredit as many athletes and officials as they wanted from which the final selection should be made. The PHF as a second thought has now included almost 60 percent officials and players who were not part of the initial list.

“We have been left with very little options as the PHF failed to realise the urgency of the matter. Every sports federation was given a free hand to send names of those probables from whom the team was supposed to be named. However, totally new names have been sent by the PHF to the POA for accreditation,” a POA official said.

“Every effort is being made by the POA to seek out of the way permission from the Games organisers to accommodate the new list. Following hectic correspondent, the Games organisers have finally given 24 hours deadline to the POA to furnish the particulars of all those officials and players added in the earlier list. This special favour was extended to POA following repeated requests,” the official said.

He revealed that the PHF has been asked to furnish details of the fresh list within

24 hours failing which it would be impossible for the POA to get accreditation.

“The ball is now in PHF court. We have done all we could to accommodate them and get the accreditation for the new players and officials that were not part of the earlier list. No other federation has done so. Every other federation has given probables’ list from the where they are to select the final names. The PHF, however, made a mess of everything.”

The Pakistan hockey team only last week lost a three-nation tournament participated by minnows and possibly PHF is not willing to send the team to Commonwealth Games with the fear that if the team cannot win against Japan, how they would beat teams like India, England and Malaysia. These three powerful teams have been grouped with Pakistan in same pool.

“I think the PHF deliberately has done this as they want to avoid playing against teams like India, England and Malaysia. Hockey team is in shambles. The PHF would make all out efforts to avoid going to Australia as they did during the Junior World Cup,” former Olympian Khalid Bashir said.