PHF to take up Pro League issue with FIH

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided to take up the Pro League fine case with International Hockey Federation (FIH) as one of their legal experts will soon be travelling to Lausanne (Switzerland) in an effort to get the waiver.

The FIH had imposed a fine to the tune of over Rs25 million on the PHF for failing to honour its commitment to participate in the Pro League.

Unless and until Pakistan pays the fine or the matter gets resolved amicably, the chances of Pakistan’s participation in Olympics pre-qualifiers look bleak. Pakistan national hockey team is to be made part of the qualification once the PHF pays the fine and the FIH reconsiders its earlier decision.

Pakistan was the signatory of the contract, accepting participation in the newly launched Pro Hockey League that concluded recently.

Pakistan withdrew from its commitment to participate in the League days ahead of the start of the event on the pretext of financial constraints. The decision came hard on the FIH Pro League schedule. The international body then had to make numerous adjustments in the process to make sure that League goes ahead according to plan.

The FIH Executive Board that met in Lausanne (Switzerland) almost a month back decided to refer the matter to its disciplinary commission.

The disciplinary committee took the matter seriously and decided to impose fine on Pakistan for failing to travel to Argentina, New Zealand and Australia for the first leg of the Pro League.

“We feel that the fine is unjust and too heavy. Had we been financially sound, we would have participated in the Pro League as we promised. Almost the same amount was required to compete in the early stages of the league that now we are asked to pay as a fine. We have decided to take up the matter with the FIH,” a top official of the PHF, when contacted, said.

PHF’s legal advisor Majid Bashir is expected to leave for Switzerland in a couple of week’s time to take up the matter with the international body.

“We want the FIH to reconsider the decision. Pakistan hockey is facing financial crunch and as such would not be in a position to pay such a heavy amount. We expect the FIH to have sympathetic review of the scenario,” the official said.

It is believed that the PHF’s legal advisor would also be engaging the FIH officials on pros and cons of the fine.

The FIH committee while imposing the fine was of the view that since all the arrangements for the matches in these countries were finalised, tickets and sponsorships were sold well ahead of the international commitment, the onus was on Pakistan to pay the damages or to make up for these expenditures.

“It was because of Pakistan’s withdrawal that these countries suffered financially. Now it is pertinent on Pakistan to pay damages to make up the loss incurred by these three countries’ hockey federations. Had Pakistan played the first leg of the Pro League engagements, there was every potential that all these three federations would have received extra benefits for hosting the Pro League matches,” the committee formed by FIH is said to have written in its verdict.

‘The News’ has learnt that before reviewing the case of fine, the FIH may approach those countries’ federations which suffered from the Pakistan’s pull out from the League.