PHF pays 2nd installment of $15,000 fine to FIH

ISLAMABAD: The impact of missing Pro Hockey League-I continues to haunt the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) as a second installment of $15,000 fine was submitted with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) the other day.

In all, Pakistan has to pay $50,000 for missing the league from which the amount of $30,000 has now been paid. The PHF recently received Rs1.5 million from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) following three years of wait. That particular amount was distributed among the leading players who have been confined to their homes because of COVID-19 fear. The cash-starved federation now has to channelise all its resources to manage Rs2.5 million extra to pay the rest of the fine.

“The PHF has submitted the second installment of $15,000 to Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) which will forward the amount to FIH,” PHF secretary Asif Bajwa told ‘The News’ in Islamabad. “The first installment last year paved the way for Pakistan to compete in the Olympic qualifying matches against Holland. Through PHF high-ups’ meetings with FIH last year, Pakistan were given the permission to play the matches. At that time we were asked to pay $50,000 within a year. We successfully negotiated and borrowed time,” he said.

Two years back on the behest of the government, the PHF signed a bond to compete in the FIH Pro League I, a decision that the federation repented later when change in the government left it high and dry. The new government of PTI refused to provide any financial assistance to the struggling federation. Consequently, the PHF had to pull out of the league.

The IPC ministry was about to release the required amount at the start of 2019 when it surprisingly decided against it, leaving no options for the PHF but to face a ban and fine from the game’s governing body.

“Though I was not part of the PHF at that time, what I have learnt was that IPC ministry was about to release the amount when it decided against it, forcing the PHF to withdraw from the league just days ahead of the start of the season,” Bajwa said. “The late withdrawal resulted in $100,000 fine, half of which we had to pay to the FIH while the other half was to be spent on hockey development in Pakistan under the watchful eyes of AHF.”