A world body like the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is expected to promote sports by organising tournaments adhering to its rules and regulations, without any bias against any team.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been trying hard to eliminate all politics from sports for many years.

However, FIH has on several occasions crumbled under pressure of Hockey India (HI). Cash-rich HI managed to influence FIH to overturn its decision during Champions Trophy 2014 held in Bhubaneswar, threatening that it would not host any FIH-sanctioned event if Pakistan players were not banned.

Former HI chief Narinder Batra has recently taken over the reins of FIH and Pakistan junior team’s exclusion from next week’s Junior Hockey World Cup in Lucknow was quite expected under the circumstances at Pakistan-India border. In fact Batra was leading HI when it threatened FIH.

Pakistan players were accused of hurling obscene gestures towards the crowd after their semi-final victory against hosts India. Pakistan players had complained that the spectators had been abusing them throughout the match and that their reaction was natural in the heat of the moment. The Tournament Director warned Pakistan team and the then coach Shahnaz Sheikh apologised and apparently the chapter was closed.

But HI chief Batra threatened FIH and made it ban two key Pakistan players for the final. A year later, HI didn’t invite Pakistan players to feature in its Hockey India League for the same reason. So, FIH has kept its legacy of giving in to Indian pressure. The situation at the Pakistan-India border would have forced a sane FIH to shift the Junior World Cup to somewhere else so that participation of every team was ensured.

There was absolutely no reason to stop Pakistan’s participation.

However, FIH eventually excluded Pakistan on the pretext that the federation was unable to meet official deadline.

PHF Secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior has questioned if Pakistan was unable to meet official deadline then how the Malaysian team, which would replace Pakistan, has obtained Indian visas within three days.

"According to the FIH, the PHF had failed to meet the official deadline for submitting the travel documents of its players. The game’s world governing body has announced Malaysia as a replacement for Pakistan in the tournament.

"This version of the FIH is completely baseless as the PHF had submitted Visa Application Forms along with the relevant documents pertaining to visa formalities well in time on October 24. The No Objection Certificate from the government of Pakistan had also been obtained on time but still India did not issue visas to the Pakistan’s contingent," Shahbaz said.

Ironically, India readily provided visa to the Malaysian team. When Pakistan hockey team last visited India, for the SAF games in February this year, the visas had been issued within two weeks of submission.

Shahbaz said such attitude of FIH would not be beneficial for hockey.

"Such attitude of the international body threatens its international legitimacy. It is against the spirit of internationality," he added.

Pakistan colts had put up a strong show in Junior Hockey Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia where they qualified for the final, only to be beaten by a strong Australian side. PHF was expecting a strong show from the team and hoping that an impressive show in the tournament would mark the revival of the national sport.

Shahbaz said PHF was ready to send the team despite the tension along the Line of Control. The PHF hadn’t even ask any special security for Pakistan’s squad, he added.