The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is currently facing a suspension of all its officials, following instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office. However, this will not affect the preparations of the national team for upcoming international events, according to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).
Despite the suspension, the PHF headquarters at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore is still operational. PSB director general Shoaib Khoso assured that the team’s preparations for the Asian Games, scheduled from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China, will continue as planned. This is because the team management and selection committee remain intact.
A training camp will commence on Sunday at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in Islamabad, where 35 potential players and ten officials will participate in a month-long training program. This camp aims to prepare the national team for the Asian Games, which also serve as qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It is worth noting that the suspension of the PHF office-bearers seems questionable since they are elected by the general council. However, the PSB’s decision to suspend them stands.
The media has tried to gather PHF’s response to the suspension, but no official has commented on the PSB’s decision yet. Interestingly, despite declaring the PHF defunct, the PSB has provided financial support to the federation and issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the participation of the Pakistan senior team in the recent Asian Champions Trophy held in Chennai.
The PSB’s decision to initiate an audit of the PHF accounts from August 2015 to 2022 is welcomed by many. This move aims to hold accountable all those officials who have misused PHF funds.
It is important to highlight that a previous order for a special audit of the PHF accounts (from August 2015 to 2022) was issued by the PSB on June 8, but it has not been implemented yet.
Furthermore, the PSB has previously intervened in the affairs of the Pakistan Olympic Association and national sports federations, which nearly resulted in suspension from respective international sports governing bodies.