National hockey players still waiting for their dailies

ISLAMABAD: National hockey players are still waiting for their daily allowances which have been pending with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for the last three months.

A leading national player who approached The News Thursday, blamed the PHF for making lame excuses. “That is why our hockey is in shambles. If the PHF fails to arrange daily allowances for players, how they can go on to improve team’s plight and how youngsters could get attracted towards the game,” the player questioned.

He confirmed to The News that daily allowances to the tune of over Rs half a million of each hockey player and officials is pending with the federation.“Around Rs 10 million in all is pending with PHF in daily allowances which have not been paid to officials and team members since the Asia Cup held in Bangladesh. At the end of Asia Cup, we attended camps for Australian tour and played exhibition matches in Australia also. No dallies have been paid to us since the Asia Cup camp,” he said.

Daily allowances that actually becomes bread and butter for hockey players in wake of no contract system, occupied minds of players. “Besides the daily that we receive within Pakistan, we are also entitled to Dollar 150 per day per player outside Pakistan. If you combine all dailies including the days of camp and during the Asia Cup engagements in Bangladesh, every player owes Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) almost Rs six lakh. We have received Rs one lakh only and the rest of amount is still pending with the PHF. Hockey players always look towards dailies as they have no other reasonable source to meet daily expenses,” one of the senior members of the team told The News on eve of team’s departure to Australia.

He said the PHF had been given almost Rs 580 million by the federal and provincial governments during the last two years. “We know well that the PHF kitty is full of money still I do not know why no heed has been paid in this regard.

We should have got the amount before our going to Australia. Every player has his own domestic problems and as such need to settle the thing before embarking on such tour.”Manager Farhat Khan before team’s departure to Australia last month hoped that federation would soon submit the balance in players account.

“Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar promised to give dailies to players soon. I hope that same would be done at earliest to put players in right state of mind for the exhibition event.” However, even after the lapse of one month no dailies have been paid to players. This is despite the fact that Sindh Government has recently given Rs 100 million as donation to PHF. “Where the amount is going to,” the player questioned.