Salary crisis of hockey federation employees deepens: Mujahid asks govt to release pending PHF grant

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) employees’ monthly salary crises deepens, former Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary and 1994 World Cup winning team full back Rana Mujahid called on the government to release the pending more than two-year annual grant, helping the low paid employees come out of financial crises amid the lock down.

Talking to The News, Rana Mujahid revealed that the PHF officials including low paid one are without salary for the last two months.

“Amid the fears of COVID-19 and government decision to keep offices and sports activities close, the PHF has been unable to arrange for the monthly salary of its employees. All the employees from top to bottom are without salary and desperately need financial support to make both ends meet. All federations’ sources to generate funds have come to standstill. Some shops that were on lease have stopped paying rent and sponsors are no more interested to support any federation at the time when there is no activity. In this unprecedented situation of total uncertainty, the federal government must come forward and not only release the much delayed amount, it should also announce special support package for hockey.”

Mujahid said it had been the game of hockey that had brought so many laurels for the country. “We have won Olympic gold medals for Pakistan. Hockey alone has won three gold medals besides many other medals in the Olympics. No other sport in Pakistan has even won even a silver in the Games. Besides that Pakistan had won four World Cups and many, many other international titles. So hockey deserves more. In this hour of need when sponsorship and even shops rent is not coming, the government must come forward to the rescue the game and its very base.”

When The News approached one of the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) official, he confirmed that for the last more than two years, the Ministry did not release any special or even normal grant to the PHF. “We did not release normal grant to any federation during the last two years. However, we do have doled out special grant to around 15 federations that did not include hockey,” the official said. Mujahid said, the Ministry should release the pending amount to the PHF so that it could extend help to low-paid employees during this lockdown period. “Look these are unusual crises. Even though the federation never demanded the normal grant in recent times, it definitely requires this to help the needy employees. The Ministry should clear the two and half year backlog so that till the time things get back to normal, PHF should take care of their employees.”

The former World Cup winning team full back praised Federal Minister Dr Fehmida Mirza for clearing the backlog of 57 former players (or their widows) whose monthly stipend was stopped almost eighteen months back.