PHF bosses plan tour at expense of coaching staff

KARACHI: The PHF’s favouritism has been once again exposed as it sidelined three of the main coaches of national team, Nasir Ali, Sameer and Shafqat and inducted Danish Kaleem, former players said.
PHF sources said that they were not considered for the tour because of shortage of funds. But interestingly, the PHF president Akhtar Rasool and secretary Rana Mujahid are going to Belgium with the team.
PHF mentioned in its statement the other day that the remaining coaches of the national senior team would be given other important assignments.
“One can imagine the future of Pakistan hockey if the Green-shirts fail to qualify for the Rio Olympics 2016 due to differences within the PHF,” a source said.
It would be a big blow to the country’s hockey after the failure to qualify for the World Cup 2014 if Pakistan did not reach Rio Olympics, the source said.
PHF failed to mention what important assignment had been given to Nasir Ali, Sameer and Shafqat and what could be more important than Pakistan’s qualification for Olympics.
It has to be mentioned that when PHF announced team management led by chief coach Shahnaz Sheikh, it said that it would continue till 2016.
The same management won two back-to-back silver medals in Asian Games and Champions Trophy last year. “So what has happened suddenly that they slashed three coaches,” said the source and added that it would disturb all the planning that had been done in recent months.
Informed sources said that a tug of war was continuing in the PHF since the good combination of the national selection committee and the team management had given Pakistan two silver medals within six months. These successes were not digested by those who used to say that the former Olympians did not know about modern hockey.
Time and again PHF bosses have tried to induct their favourites to get the credit. Previously, it appointed Tahir Zaman and now Danish Kaleem. “But the questioned is why successful coaches have been thrown out,” said a source.