PHF decision to borrow loan raises questions

ISLAMABAD: As 31st meeting of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is scheduled for Saturday (October 6) in Lahore, efforts would be made to justify federation’s unusual act of borrowing loan for the Asian Games.

The News has learnt from well-placed sources that the PHF has barrowed around Rs 20million over and above millions of rupees normal and special grant it has received from the government. According to an estimate which is supported and backed by source within the PHF, around Rs 750 million transaction was made from the federation accounts during last less than three years. One wonders how on earth the need arose to borrow more amount for the Asian Games at time when such a huge amount in shape of grants, special grants, sponsored and rental money became part of PHF kitty.

A good part of the amount was received by the PHF in shape of special grant from the former PMs (Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi) also happened to be the Chief Patrons of federation. Sindh Chief Minister also doled out around R 120 million. Normal grant and rental (Hockey Club of Pakistan shops rent) also contributed in filling the federation kitty. Surprisingly, in presence of this huge amount, the PHF opted for loan for the Asian Games. The federation has recently also approached the federal government for more grant, giving impression that whatever amount it had got in recent times had already been consumed.

It is not even clear as from where the loan for Asian Games (8th point of the PHF Executive Board agenda) was obtained. Whether the amount was borrowed from Bank or from any individual? “I don’t think federation needs any loan in wake of the grants it has received during the last three years,” one of the former leading Olympian when contacted said.

He called for through investigation into the federation accounts by a third party. “Former Olympians should be made part of the committee for detailed audit of the account. Only then we would be in a position to know as where the amount was spent.” He said that recently federation organised unnecessary emerging team tour to Canada where the squad consisting of raw players managed to score just one goal conceding almost 26 in the process.

The PHF officials including Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar had been contradicting receiving such huge amount saying the federation had got less grant from the Federal Government than it was usually thought. “We have got around Rs 500 million from Federal and Sindh governments,” he admitted in a recent interview. The PHF also claimed that loan had been borrowed for participation in the Asian Games. However, PHF is reluctant to reveal as from where the loan was borrowed and how much loan the federation owes.