Pakistan hockey faces axe in CW Games

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has left Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) in a catch 22 situation due to poor administrative work with Commonwealth (CW) Games organisers setting 24 hours deadline to meet the requirement or face hockey axe from the extravaganza.

The News has learnt from well placed sources that the PHF as a second thought almost changed sixty percent of team and officials list at the eleventh hour, making it difficult for the POA to have a fresh accreditation of the new entrants so close to the start of the Commonwealth Games.

For athletes and officials, the Games organisers had already set November 24 deadline as online accreditation. The POA has already intimated federations to meet the deadline and accreditation as many athletes and officials they want from which the final selection should be carried out. The PHF as a second thought now included almost sixty percent of new officials and players who were not part of the initial list, making it almost impossible for the POA to get accreditation for them. “We have been left with very little options as PHF failed to realize the urgency of matter and accreditation those players in the new list that who were never part of the initial list. Every federation was given free hand to send the names of probables from whom the team is supposed to be named.

However, totally new names were sent by the PHF to POA for accreditation the other day,” a POA official when contacted said. “Every effort is being made by the POA to seek out of the way permission from the Games organizers to accommodate the new list. Following hectic correspondent, the Games organizers have finally given 24 hours deadline to the POA to furnish the particulars of all those officials and players added on the earlier list. This special favour was extended to POA following repeated requests,” the official said.

He revealed that the PHF has been asked to furnish details of the fresh list within the 24 hours failing which it would be impossible for the POA to get accreditation. “The ball is now in PHF court. We have done all we could to accommodate them and get the accreditation for the new players and officials that were not part of the earlier. No other federation has done so. Every other federation has given probable names from the where they are to select the final names. The PHF however made a mess of everything.”

Pakistan hockey team only last week lost three-nation tournament participated by minnows and possibly are not willing to send the team to Commonwealth Games with the fear that if the team cannot win against Japan how they would beat teams like India, England and Malaysia. These three powerful teams have been grouped with the Pakistan in the Pool in the Commonwealth Games.

“I think the PHF deliberately has done this as they want to avoid playing against teams like India, England and Malaysia. Pakistan hockey team is in shambles. The PHF would make all out efforts to avoid going to Australia for the Games as they did during the Junior World Cup,” former Olympian Khalid Bashir when contacted said.