ISLAMABAD -  Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool rubbished claims made by some quarters that he had submitted resignation to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Saddiq.
Talking to The Nation, Akhtar said: “Sardar Ayaz is my close friend and it is my constituency. I just went for inauguration of few projects with Sardar Ayaz and if I had to submit resignation, I would do so through proper channel. We had given just one year to show our expertise and there is a lot of work needed to be done yet. We have given our entire lives to hockey and I have huge plans for revving the national game.”
“The Punjab Chief Minister supported us whole-heartedly and gave us much-needed funds and I had accepted the president slot with a mission and if sufficient amount of funds were provided, we could have completely changed the fortunes of Pakistan hockey.”
When this scribe asked Akhtar that government was handing over PHF reins to PIA and MD PIA would be the next president and Brig (R) Khalid Khokhar would be secretary, he replied: “I am not aware of these developments. How is it possible to change democratically-elected PHF and can PM issue an executive order in this regard? I just know we are here to serve hockey and if PM wants my resignation and by doing so hockey can be revived, then I am ready for it. For the time being, we need to work together to help Pakistan hockey, instead playing blame game. We must unite for one cause and that is to revive national sports as quickly as possible and that can only be done through unity, sincerity and hard work.”