Bilawal Bhutto helps PHF for SA tour

KARACHI: PPP chairman and Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari helped Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) in getting visas of the players and officials of Pakistan team for the tour of South Africa where the Greenshirts will participate in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup.

The Nations Cup is scheduled to be held from November 28-December 4. PHF was facing a couple of issues due to the shortage of time in getting visas of the players and officials of the team.

Sources said that PHF successfully resolved the issues to make the participation of Pakistan team in the South African tournament possible.

Sources said PHF secretary Haider Hussain, due to his good relations with the Sindh government, contacted PPP chairman foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto and sought his help in getting the visas of the players and officials on time. Sources said visas and other travelling documents were completed on Wednesday, and Pakistan team was ready to go to South Africa.

Haider contacted Sindh minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and through him contacted the foreign minister to resolve the issue of visas. Sources said that when the issue came into the knowledge of foreign minister he issued directives to the ministry officials to resolve all the problems of Pakistan team for the tour of South Africa immediately.

It has to be mentioned that PPP led Sindh government also helped PHF in the development of the national game by providing a handsome amount annually. It has also laid around a dozen synthetic turfs in all important cities of the province.

Pakistan team will go to South Africa in two groups. One group was to depart on Wednesday night and the other will leave the country on Friday.

Pakistan have to reach South Africa on Friday (tomorrow). The other participating teams in the event are France, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and hosts South Africa.

It is expected that Pakistan hockey team will play a practice match or two before the event.