LAHORE - Ailing former hockey Olympian Zahid Sharif has said that Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) backed out of its promise to organise his benefit match for extending financial assistance for his heart treatment.

“I am in worst physical condition as my heart is only working 17 percent and sadly I do not have resources to undertake costly treatment while the PHF has backed out of its earlier promise to stage my benefit match,” he told reporters here at the National Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.

He held former PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmad Senior responsible for not fulfilling the promise of organizing his benefit match and said Shahbaz didn’t do anything except issuing him a letter of his benefit match. “I will be another example like former Pakistan captain Mansoor Khan, who died awaiting financial assistance from the PHF,” he said and added: “I have no source of income and it has become hard for me to meet both the ends as I am maintaining a family with children.”

A visibly pale and shattered from his ailment, Zahid deplored the irresponsible attitude of the present setup of the PHF especially its president, who is least bother about the welfare of the former stalwarts of the game. “I served Pakistan hockey with pride and was part of the country’s many victories at international level but unfortunately in the time of need, I have been left alone to fight with my ailment with no earning resource available to me,” said the former hockey Olympian in sheer pain with tearful eyes.

He said the present regime of the PHF wasted millions of rupees on the pretext of development of hockey and the result is disappointing as the team is struggling at international level and struck dismal performance in the World Cup in India and even failed to win its single match in the history of the Cup. “Here arises the question where the huge grant received from the government has been spent as the results speak that our national game is in shambles,” said Zahid.

He appealed the concerned quarters to take notice of his sickness and to issue him grant on immediate basis so that he could get timely treatment of his heart. “Many masters of the game died in miserable condition in recent years and the PHF, knowingly their deadly diseases, did nothing,” he added.