PHF secretary to meet chief ministers for hockey promotion

KARACHI: Newly-appointed PHF secretary Olympian Asif Bajwa has said that despite financial crisis he would make it possible for the Green-shirts to participate in all international events in future.

Addressing a press conference at Abdul Sattar Edhi stadium on Wednesday, he said that Pakistan’s chances to qualify for the Olympics 2020 were slim. “But we will participate in the qualifying rounds in October,” he added.

“We have gone very low; we will have to work hard with cooperation of each other. Otherwise hockey will go to the bottom,” he said. Bajwa said that Pakistan had not won Asia Cup for the last 30 years. “We last won this Asian-level trophy in 1989, so one can imagine the level we have plunged to,” he said.

He said it was yet to be decided if a foreign coach would be hired. “We will see our resources and then decide,” Bajwa added. He said that he would soon meet the chief ministers of the four provinces and inform them that after 18th Amendment it was their responsibility to promote sports as they had more resources.

Bajwa said that there had been no structural change in the PHF since its inception in 1947. “Times have changed and the world has gone far ahead. There is need to bring major reforms in the PHF structure and change it into a professional organisation. Powers will be delegated and those who would be assigned any duty would be answerable for the results. Only the PHF secretary cannot be held responsible for everything,” he said.

When asked in which city the national championship would be held, he said: “After Ramazan we will see where the weather condition is ideal for organising the event.” He further said that PHF made a big mistake when it missed the FIH Pro League as it led to a heavy fine. “We will see how it can be resolved,” the secretary said.

Bajwa said that he would talk to the FIH president Narinder Batra in this regard. He categorically said that outgoing PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed was much more respectable than him. “Shahbaz Ahmed is our last World Cup winning captain. He was a great player; he brought a lot of success and pride for Pakistan. PHF would not allow anyone to malign him,” he added. Bajwa said the PHF was committed to organise its own professional league in the country but could not give a time-frame for that.