While expressing concern over embarrassing performance of Pakistan’s Hockey team in World Hockey League, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sought explanation from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) in this regard. On Friday, Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics following an embarrassing 0-1 defeat at the hands of Ireland during the Hockey World League in Antwer city of Belgium.It is the first time that Pakistan have failed to qualify for the Olympics in their illustrious hockey history.The prime minister, who is also Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) patron-in-chief, asked the PHF officials as well as Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) to explain as to how a three-time gold medalist team plunged so low in performance, said an official statement.The PHF is chronically cash-strapped; unable to offer proper incentives to players, afford quality equipment, hire competent staff, or even fund airfare to regional commotions. A motley crowd of private sponsors bankroll the game and even then it falls prey to institutional corruption. Just like other sport federations, the senior officials of the PHF treat foreign tournament as fully-paid holidays, with ancillary staff and administrative heads joining the tour to take in the sights; this time around President Akhtar Rasool, secretary Rana Mujahid and Asif Bajwa and several other top officials tagged along despite being completely unnecessary to proceedings. This coupled with last minute employment shakeups and nepotistic appointments make the PHF a microcosm of institutionalised corruption. Few months back Gen Raheel had vowed that every endeavour for the revival of sports in the country would be supported. He said that golden days of the national game would be brought back, adding that Pakistan would be introduced in the world as a sport loving country. However since he has been fighting on many fronts, Hockey continues to suffer.An overhaul is imperative, with stringent measures in place to keep the incompetent and corrupt out of the PHF set-up. However, with politics having saturated the PHF rank and file and with governments overly keen to run the game through their handpicked officials there is little hope that any serious effort for the revival of the national sport will be made in the near future.
pk.shafaqna.com
