PHF asks NCOC to provide vaccine doses for players

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan junior hockey team is all set to compete in the Asia Cup and later in the Junior World Cup, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has approached the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) to get the Covid-19 jabs for all the leading players and support staff.

The letter in which the PHF requested the vaccination of all leading players and officials of the federation has been received by the NCOC.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has already finalised activity plan for the year 2021 in which Pakistan will have to compete in two junior events and the Seniors World Hockey 5s Event if succeed in qualifying for the event. The Junior Asia Cup will be held in Bangladesh in July where the top three teams will go on to play the World Cup to be held in India in December this year.

“We have written a letter to the NCOC and Asad Umar requesting early vaccination of the players and all the related staff. Since the vaccination is mandatory for participation in all the major international events thus we need early jabs for training and then for international tours. Like the frontline workers and elderly people, sportsmen and supporting staff also require timely vaccination to start activities and travelling abroad for international competitions,” PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa said while talking to ‘The News’.

He added that the government has been approached in this regard. “Hopefully we would be in a position to vaccinate our players at the earliest.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board has already started vaccination of the leading cricketers including the team members picked for the South Africa and Zimbabwe tours.

“Almost all the leading cricketers have got their first dose while most of the players also received their second jab. The vaccination of all the cricketers will be completed before the team’s departure,” a PCB official said.

He added that majority of the players got their first dose during the PSL while the rest of players got their first jab later.

Bajwa said that they wanted all the players to get vaccinated before the start of training camp for the Junior Asia Cup.