FIH delegation to visit Pakistan

KARACHI: A high-powered FIH and ASH delegation will visit Pakistan on Thursday (tomorrow) to meet PHF president and its secretary, ‘The News’ has learnt.
The delegation includes FIH president Leonardo Nagray and CEO Kelly Fairweather.
PHF president Khalid Khokhar and secretary Shahbaz Ahmed will receive the FIH high-ups.
The FIH delegation will stay in Pakistan for two days and discus several issues related to Pakistan hockey.
The PHF high officials will present their case in front of the FIH delegation and give them a briefing about lack of foreign teams’ visits and how Pakistan’s umpires, coaches and technical officials have been ignored in FIH development programmes.
Sources said that PHF chiefs would also discuss the possibility of Pakistan’s participation in the next year’s Champions Trophy as the Green-shirts were the runners-up in 2015 edition.
The PHF officials would also seek FIH help for persuading teams to visit Pakistan and for organising Pakistan Hockey League (PHL). Due to the war on terror in the region and some other reasons, Pakistan has remained isolated in the world of hockey.
The PHF wants FIH to play its due role and help PHF promote hockey in this country, organise international level events in Pakistan.
The sources said that FIH delegation would also meet chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Governor Rafiq Rajwana. The sources also confirmed that AHF CEO Tayyab Ikram would accompany the FIH officials.