PHF seeks guidelines to resume activities

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), which plans to hold training camps for various age groups from late August, has asked the federal and provincial governments to provide guidelines and advise standard operating procedures (SOPs) under which the players can resume training.

In a letter, a copy of which is available with ‘The News’, addressed to the Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) secretary, PHF secretary Asif Bajwa reminded the government that hockey activities had begun around the world and any delay would leave Pakistani players far behind.

“Like other spheres of life, sports are also badly affected by this pandemic. There are various national and international commitments at hand for which training of athletes is obligatory,” he said.

PHF intends to establish training camps in August and September for various international and domestic commitments, for which the PHF needs government’s SOPs for the training camps, the letter said.

Bajwa said since no SOPs have so far been finalised by the government regarding resumption of sports activities, it was difficult to start training camps at the national level.

“All over the world, the respective governments have finalised SOPs for various sports to resume. No one is certain when this pandemic will be over. We have to move on while following SOPs. Since the federal and provincial governments are the best judges, their SOPs will help us in making a move,” Bajwa said while talking to ‘The News’.

He said the players have become rusty by not playing any hockey for almost six months. “Everywhere in the world sporting activities have slowly been getting back on courts and fields. We also want to resume activities as the COVID-19 situation in Pakistan has improved. We can only do it if we get the green signal from the governments along with written guidelines that would then be followed in letter and spirit,” Bajwa said.

He hoped that a timely decision by the federal government would help the PHF prepare the teams for international tournaments.