MOHSIN ALI

ISLAMABAD
 

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Congress meeting was held on Tuesday at Abdul Sattar Edhi National Hockey Stadium, Karachi under the chair of President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar on Tuesday.

Talking to The Nation soon after the congress meeting, Brig Khokhar said: “It was very fruitful congress meeting as 71 out of 111 members attended it while a few members were absent due to death of Olympian Khawaja Junaid’s father. All the participants were focused on one task and that is to take Pakistan hockey back to old glory days.

“The congress endorsed the name of Olympian Asif Bajwa as new PHF secretary, while the Congress and Executive Board authorised president to form four committees in consultation with the secretary. The committees including disciplinary, constitutional, selection and audit will be announced in few days time,” he added.

He said that Olympian Manzoor Junior, celebrated gold medalist captain of 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, has been named as chairman selection committee with Olympians Ayaz Mahmood, also 1984 gold medalist, Khalid Hameed, also 1984 gold medalist, and Waseem Feroz, 1994 world cup gold medalist, as members.

 To a query regarding complaints of Islamabad hockey team players, the PHF head said: “It was due to KESC that Karachi was facing load shedding problem and all could not sleep due to humidity. The federation had made back up plan as well and all was settled down.

“We can’t fight with nature or all of a sudden things but we can manage things and I am here to ensure the holding of the championship in a professional way, as it will give the country future stars of hockey, who will serve the game and the country for the years to come,” he added.

When asked about Olympian Samiullah’s outburst at Asif Bajwa and serious financial allegations on the federation, Khokhar said: “It was all baseless and had no ground reality. We had made our accounts crystal clear to all, auditors had given their report and there is not a single penny’s embezzlement. Asif Bawja has taken over the role as a secretary to run the federation in a professional way and also to bridge gap between players and the stakeholders.

“Bajwa had served Pakistan hockey for years and was secretary in the past as well. Rather than mud-sledging, we must join hands for the cause of hockey. I am arranging the 65th Muhammad Noor Khan National Hockey Championship from my own resources. We didn’t get a single penny’s help from the government or private sector yet. I am hoping for sponsors to step forward.

“I want government and especially IPC Minister Dr Fahmida Mirza to spare some time and invite PHF for a meeting to let us share our side of story. It is very easy to criticise someone, but it is very hard to understand what I have done for hockey and players for the last three years,” he added.

“I have time and again offered Olympians and past legends to step forward and bring suggestions for the betterment of hockey in general and players in particular. But no one bothered to come up with positives, rather majority of them just created hurdles. Anyways, I once again request PM Imran Khan to take some time off from his schedule and invite us for a meeting.

He is a world cup winner and entire sports fraternity has pinned high hopes on him,” Khokhar concluded.