‘PHF never followed required SOPs for hiring foreign coach’

ISLAMABAD: As country’s hockey standard stoops to new low in recent past, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has made it clear that it has nothing to do with Roelant Oltmans hiring as the federation never followed the required laid down Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Azam Dar, Director Sports Federations when contacted on possible government role in hiring Dutch based hockey coach Oltmans on second term with the national team, said the government had nothing to do with his hiring.

“The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has never followed the laid down SOPs in hiring the foreign coach. As such we cannot financially support his hiring. We can only do that if the concerned federation follows the laid down SOPs,” he said.

Azam Dar confirmed that in recent times, the government supported hiring volleyball and taekwondo coaches. “Taekwondo and volleyball federations followed the SOPs and that is why they are being financially supported to hire the coach. PHF has never shown interest in following the SOPs and that is why they are not being financially supported in this regard.”

Meanwhile, the government has yet to pay the annual grant of the PHF mainly due to their inability to submit the previous audit report in time. “The government gives Rs 3.5 million annual grant to hockey federation. We issue annual grant once we get complete audited report of previous year’s grant.

PHF has taken time to submit their audited reported and only did that last week which is too late for early settlement. Now we have moved their case to Finance Ministry,” Azam Dar said.He made it clear that unless and until the PSB gets the approval under the given head, it would not be in a position to transfer the amount in PHF kitty.

“One of PHF officials keeps on visiting PSB offices regularly in an attempt to get early grant. We are pursuing their case and would only be in a position to give them the grant once we receive it from the Ministry,” he said.