Handball team needs govt support, says Shafiq

KARACHI: Pakistan Handball Federation’s (PHF) president Mohammad Shafiq on Tuesday said that Pakistan has the chance to qualify for the World Beach Games and World Beach Championships if the state supported the federation for the Asian qualifying round.

“We can make it to both the World Beach Games and the World Beach Championships, but we need state support for fielding our team in the Asian qualifiers to be held in China next summer,” Shafiq told ‘The News’ in an interview.

The Asian Qualifiers will be held from June 15-22 at Weihai, China. The China event serves as qualifiers for both the World Beach Games and the World Beach Championships.One team from the continental qualifiers will make it to the World Beach Games slated to be held in San Diego, United States, in October 2019. The World Beach Championships will be held in 2020 in Italy.

Shafiq said that the federation had sought a special grant from Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). He said it was a resource-intensive tour and that it would be a big problem for the federation to field its team without state support.

“Everything is very expensive in China. The air-ticket has also touched Rs150,000. A one-night stay costs 150 dollars a head. Around Rs5 million will be needed for the tour,” Shafiq said.He was quick to add that the federation would also contribute to ensure participation of Pakistan team.

He said that PHF would confirm Pakistan’s participation in the qualifiers only after the government earmarked a grant for the purpose.“The issue is if we withdraw after we confirm our entry and draws are also held then we will face a huge penalty which is normally more than the participation cost,” said Shafiq, who is also the secretary of Asian Handball Federation (AHF).

Pakistan have a solid record in beach handball in Asia as they have never returned without a medal from the Asian Beach Games.

Pakistan won gold in the 2007 Asian Beach Handball Championship in Iran, clinched gold in the 1st Asian Beach Games in 2008 in Indonesia, and claimed the tenth position in the World Beach Championships held the same year in Spain.

The Green-shirts finished sixth in the 2009 Chinese Taipei World Games, won silver in the 2nd Asian Beach Games in Oman in 2010, secured bronze in the 3rd Asian Beach Games in China in 2012, secured bronze in the 2014 Asian Beach Games in Thailand and won bronze in the fifth Asian Beach Games in Vietnam in 2016.

Pakistan also won bronze in the Asian Youth Beach Handball Championship in Thailand in 2016, finished ninth in the World Youth Beach Handball Championship in Mauritius in 2017. About the training camp, Shafiq said that effort would be made to hold it two to three months before the qualifiers.

He also seeks to send the team abroad for training ahead of the qualifiers. “It’s not difficult. I can even arrange a training tour for free,” Shafiq said. He said Qatar had been a strong force in beach handball, having got services of players from Africa and Europe. “Qatar always considers Pakistan a threat in beach handball,” the official said.

About his plans of holding any international event in Pakistan in 2019, Shafiq said the infrastructure was not enough to hold an Asian Championship.“There is only one hall in Islamabad. For holding an Asian Championship we need at least two halls,” Shafiq said. However, he was quick to add that Pakistan could host an IHF Trophy.