LOAN FOR ASIAD: Hockey executives to discuss issue on Oct 6

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

‘The News’ has learnt from well-placed sources that the PHF has borrowed around Rs20 million over and above normal and special grants worth millions of rupees it has received from the government.

According to an estimate which is supported by a source in the PHF, transactions of around Rs750 million were made from the federation’s accounts in last less than three years.

A good part of the amount was received by the PHF in shape of special grant from the former prime ministers (Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi). Sindh chief minister also doled out around Rs120 million. Normal grants and rental money from Hockey Club of Pakistan shops also contributed to fill the federation’s kitty.

The federation recently also approached the federal government for more grants, giving an impression that whatever am-ount it had got in recent times had already been consumed.

It is not yet clear as from where the loan for the Asian Games (8th point of the PHF Executive Board agenda) was obtained. Whether the amount was borrowed from a bank or any individual? Whether that individual is a tax payer? Does the PHF’s constitution allow borrowing money from any individual?

PHF’s officials including Brig (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar had been contradicting receiving such a huge amount, saying that the federation had received less money from the federal government than it was usually thought. “We have got around Rs500 million from the federal and Sindh governments,” Khokhar admitted in a recent interview.

The PHF also claimed that the loan had been borrowed for participation in the Asian Games. However, the PHF is reluctant to reveal as from where the loan was borrowed and how much loan the federation owes.

“I don’t think that federation needs any loan in wake of the grants it has received during the last three years,” one of the leading Olympians, when contacted, said.

The Olympian called for thorough investigation into the federation’s accounts by a third party.

“Former Olympians should be made part of the committee for the detailed audit of the accounts. Only then we would be in a position to know as where the amount was spent.”

He added that recently the federation organised an unnecessary tour of the emerging squad to Canada where the raw team managed to score just one goal conceding almost 26 in the process.

“Is it wise to spend over Rs10 million for scoring just one goal? There are more than one scandals associated with this highly controversial tour. You will only be in a position to know the truth about the scandals if the government will hold an independent inquiry into mishandling of the entire tour,” the Olympian said.

Another important point on agenda of the meeting would be ‘letters originated by former hockey players to FIH and FIA’.

The PHF has possession of all those letters which were written by the former Olympians about alleged irregularities in the federation’s working.

Teams’ poor performances over the years including the last finish in the Champions Trophy, all time low seventh position in the Commonwealth Games, failing to get single medal in Asian Games and ill-managed tour of Canada would also be under review in the meeting.

The PHF board will also consider Mari Gas Company’s application for seeking playing rights.