Hockey players will get their dues before Asiad: PHF

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) senior officials on Tuesday assured the national team players that their daily allowances and other dues would be given to them before the start of Asian Games.

PHF officials urged the players not to lose hope and continue their practice for the coming Asian event to be held in Indonesia in August- September. The PHF sources said that PHF would resolve the financial issues related to the national hockey team through sponsorship and contacted to some private organisations.

The sources said PHF is also in contact with the federal government to release its approved financial grant as soon as possible. The PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Khokhar, when contacted, said PHF is committed to resolve the issue and clear all the financial dues of the players before Asian Games.

He recalled that the financial dues and allowances of the pervious hockey team players and officials were paid during the present PHF management, thus, we are committed to pay the allowances of the players. But he added players should continue their hard work in the training camp, and soon they would listen the good news regarding their financial issues. He said that PHF management has contacted an institution to get the sponsorship to resolve the financial problems of national hockey team players.

Meanwhile a group of senior players of national hockey team called a press conference at Dr Muhammad Ali Shah-Islahuddin Hockey Academy ground on Tuesday afternoon and said that they did not boycott the Asian Games,they just wanted to inform the authorities concerned about their financial problems.

Captain of national hockey team Rizwan Senior addressing the media said that players are having hard practice during the training camp, and they did not think about to boycott the Asian Games. However he added the situation is that they are empty-handed and their daily allowances and other financial dues are yet to be paid.

He said that the players hope PHF fulfills its promises before the Asian Games. He said that if our dues were not paid before the Asian event they would not participate in the event. Senior players Imran Butt and Irfan Sr were also present during press conference.

Our Lahore correspondent adds: The Pakistan hockey team members have made it clear of their intent of not participating in the Asian Games 2018 until their dues are cleared. “The whole team has decided that we will not go to Indonesia for the Asian Games if we are not paid our dues,” the captain of the hockey team, Rizwan Sr told media in Karachi on Tuesday. “We have been playing tournaments for the country but the PHF has not paid us for the past six months.”

The players said that the team will not be able to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Japan if they do not participate in the Asian Games 2018. “The PHF should pay us our salaries right now,” said one team member.

Rizwan Sr asked how the team can be expected to win if there is no money.According to the team captain, the players were upset about not being paid. He said that the entire team has decided to boycott the games until they get their salaries.