Govt withholds PHF’s Rs200m special grant

ISLAMABAD: Following the back-to-back poor performances and humiliated defeats by the national hockey team, the caretaker government has decided to withhold Rs200 million special grant to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) with immediate effect.

‘The News’ has learnt from the well-placed sources in the Ministry of Finance that the grant that was due to be released this week has been withheld following a series of embarrassing defeats in junior and senior international events and series.

The financial year ends tomorrow (Saturday) and all the efforts on the part of the PHF to get the approved special grant turned futile as the government has decided not to release the amount following a series of poor shows by the national outfits.

“The government has decided to withhold Rs200 million grant, approval of which was made last month by the previous government headed by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

“The decision to withhold the grant was taken following a series of poor performances including the ongoing Champions Trophy.

“Every effort has been made to get the amount released but to no avail. The heavy amount has been granted to the PHF during the last three years without any positive results,” a source within the ministry, when contacted, said.

‘The News’ has also learnt that a whopping amount of Rs600 million has been given to the hockey federation in shape of normal and special grant during the last three years.

“The government cannot afford special grants anymore at a time when results are not coming. The PHF has been given everything they demanded during the last three years but no positive change could be seen in the standard of game. Instead the team that was ranked 6th four years back is now struggling to maintain their 13th place ranking. Be it Asia Cup, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Asian Champions Trophy or Champions Trophy, Pakistan hockey team has performed poorly during the last three years. There is no wisdom in giving them more amount just for nothing,” the official said.

The interim setup has left the matter for the upcoming democratic government to decide on granting special grant during the next financial year.

“No more special grants for the PHF, the matter has been left for the next financial year where in all probabilities the coming democratic government would decide whether to continue with the same setup.”

The last three years have been disastrous for Pakistan hockey where the team not only lost its ranking but it was beaten by minnows like Japan, three times in four outings. Oman team that has ranked outside 30 also played draw against Pakistan in three-nation event that Japan won ultimately beating Pakistan in the final.

The worst ever seventh position in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and poor performances in the Asian Champions Trophy and Azlan Shah Cup also discredit the current PHF hierarchy.

The national side which is being trained and coached by Dutch coach Renault Oltmans has been beaten in each and every game it has played so far in the ongoing Champions Trophy in Breda.