Punjab to give Rs15 million for camp, tour

KARACHI: The Punjab government would provide funds for the national hockey team’s training camp for the tour of Australia, sources in the PHF told ‘The News’ on Friday.
They said the provincial government would foot the bill for the camp, including the daily allowance of the players and the officials.
Pakistan are to participate in a four-nation tournament in Australia. PHF president Akhtar Rasool had said on Thursday that the training camp would be resumed from April 12.
Punjab government would provide Rs15 million for the camp and the Australian tour, the sources said.
The sources said that the federal government had told PHF plainly that a big amount in one go would not be provided.
Chief coach Shahnaz Sheikh, when contacted, said that he had received the new schedule of the training camp.
He said the camp would be held at National Hockey Stadium in Lahore from April 12 and the players had been directed to report to him in the evening.
He said that the same plan would be implemented in Lahore which was being acted upon in Islamabad. He hoped that those players who had received injuries during training in Islamabad would be fit after taking rest.
Shahnaz asserted that the players were committed to qualify for the Olympics 2016, whatever the circumstances might be.
The players have been playing without salaries for more than a year. Same is the case of Shahnaz and the assistant coaches and physical trainers.