Names for committee to run hockey affairs discussed

ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting on the future formation and working of hockey and other sports in the country was held at the Prime Minister's Secretariat as the names of the special committee to run the affairs have been finalized for the Prime Minister’s approval.

Well-placed sources have confirmed to The News that this Special Committee will consist of three to five members and will be headed by a retired judge. Besides an administrative, the committee will also include one or two former Olympians of some repute. Sources confirmed that highly reputed Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh could well be preferred as a member of the Committee with one more name of a former Olympian also under consideration. “We have recommended names in the summary forwarded to the Prime Minister's approval. The PM is expected to decide on the matter any time now. These names have been finalized under the direction of the three-member special committee with Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif as its convener. Prime Minister who is also the Patron in Chief of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has all the powers to nominate a special committee to look after the day-to-day business of the federation.”

Another meeting that was held at the Prime Minister Secretariat on Tuesday also discussed the promotion of hockey at different levels. Besides some former hockey players, the meeting was attended by Higher Education Commission (HEC) officials. “The meeting discussed populating the game of hockey amongst youth and making it a mandatory sport at school and early college level. The HEC officials shared their input and proposed different sets of hockey promotion roadmaps. A former Olympian also shared his experience and expertise, suggesting that hockey promotion and interest among youth is possible provided educational institutions are made part of the system.”

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) officially confirmed on Tuesday that a letter had been written to the PHF headed by Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar not to prepare and proceed to the Azlan Shah Hockey preparations.

The News broke the story in Sunday’s edition that the disaffiliated PHF has been asked not to move ahead with Azlan Shah Hockey as no favour will be extended to them till the time the Patron in Chief takes the final decision on the future formation of the federation.

The PSB in its letter even refused to issue NOC which is mandatory for the national team’s foreign trips. “Till the time the three-member high profile committee decides on hockey affairs, the PSB will neither allow any person/body to represent Pakistan without NOC nor process the case for grant of NOC,” the letter to Haider Hussain, secretary PHF says.