PHF reinstates Manzoor as chief selector

ISLAMABAD: As the tug of war continues to wrest powers, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has reinstated Manzoor Junior as chairman of the selection committee in place of Kaleemullah.

Manzoor Junior was relieved almost a month back on the pretext that he was more suited to the coaching job and was appointed with the junior team.

Brig (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar who had been de-notified as the President of (PHF) by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) last week has left for England. 'The News' has learnt that before leaving on a one-month trip to the UK, the President PHF reinstated Manzoor Junior as chairman PHF selection committee and also directed his legal to move to the court against what he called an illegal step taken by the PSB to appoint election committee.

On July 21, the PHF issued a letter to the chairman selection committee Kaleemullah to keep an eye on the training camp underway at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium in Karachi where women probables are training for the Indoor Asia Cup to be held in Thailand from August 6 to 15.

However, just a few days later Kaleemullah has again been replaced by Manzoor Junior. The former Pakistan captain Manzoor who is also expected to leave for the UK for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games during the next few days has expressed his inability to continue as junior team coach. He has again been reinstated as the chairman selection committee of the PHF that is now struggling for its own survival against the government/patron's decision to de-notify all the federation officials.

When ‘The News’ approached Kaleemullah, he said he was fed up.

“I don’t want to be part of the set-up. Though I was taken in confidence by Manzoor Junior, I don’t want to continue with this setup in any capacity.”

While Director General PSB Col (r) Asif Zaman maintained the other day that at all costs the PHF elections will be conducted within two months, Brig (r) Khokhar has rejected the committee formed to conduct the election. “We have formed the committee in consultation with Khokhar who is also a member of the election committee,” DG PSB told ‘The News’ on the eve of his departure for the UK.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed secretary PHF Saeed Khan has already taken a flight from France to Pakistan. Speculations are also there that majority of PHF Congress members are against the appointment of Saeed Khan, saying neither he is a member of the Congress nor he holds any office in the federation.

“Appointment should be made in accordance with the constitutional clauses. There is no clause in the constitution that allows such appointment,” one of the Congress members, said.