PHF fails to announce prize money

KARACHI: The PHF has failed to confirm the prize money of the ongoing 62nd National Hockey Championship although the event started four days ago.

The participants acknowledge that PHF has done a marvelous job in organising the event, but they expressed surprise over the delay in prize money announcement.

Sources told ‘The News’ that the players and the officials were hoping that PHF would announce handsome cash awards.

The members of the national senior hockey team and its officials were deprived of their monthly salaries and other benefits in recent years.

PHF management, headed by Brig (retd) Kahlid Khokhar and Shahbaz Ahmed, has tried to bring sponsorship but how much they have been successful is not clear yet.

Sources said PHF’s marketing officials were still trying to get maximum number of sponsorship deals.

The organising committee was still waiting for the KATI’s financial support, they added.

The PHF officials held two marathon meetings with KATI. More than a dozen industrialists visited HCP to see the preparation for the national championship. PHF official briefed them about the event but still they have not announced any financial support to PHF.

The PHF had announced that prize money of the national championship would be big.

It has intentions to give cash awards to the best player of the championship, the best forward, the top scorer, the best goalkeeper.

So far three hat-tricks have been scored, including one scored on penalty corners.

It seems that PHF has removed the age restriction in the domestic hockey introduced by previous management.

Players and officials said that a handsome amount of prize money would change the face of the domestic hockey.

Officials of some domestic teams said that when prize money would be handsome and other prizes would be on offer, the local organisers and coaches would work with more dedication and enthusiasm.