PSB issues cheque, but hockey players remain empty handed

KARACHI: The prize money of two silver medal of Champions Trophy 2014 was released to the PHF more than one month ago but surprisingly the players and management remain deprived of it, ‘The News’ has learnt.
Sources in Islamabad said that PSB had released the cheque of Rs16 million to PHF with the sign of deputy director technical of PSB on July 31. PHF authorities were also sent a reminder to send the original vouchers of the players and team officials.
The players and the officials, when contacted, said that they had received the prize money of the Asian Games but not for Champions Trophy silver medal.
The PHF is facing a lot of criticism these days due to its mismanagement, wrongdoings and poor show of the team in the qualifying rounds of Rio Olympics.
One of the team officials said that he did not know if PSB had released the cheque.
The officials include Olympian Nasir Ali, Sameer Hussain and Shafqat who were the coaches of the team in the Champions trophy under head coach Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh.
The team won two silver medals within six months.
Meanwhile, the PHF president Akhtar Rasool reached Islamabad on Tuesday as the federal government is likely to take action to address the issues of the federation on the basis of the report of the inquiry committee which was formed to ascertain the reasons behind Pakistan’s failure to qualify for Rio Olympics 2016.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is also the patron in chief of the PHF appointed the six-member committee.
Former Pakistan prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, also a former president of PHF, is also already in Islamabad to meet the PM to discuss the hockey issues.