Pakistan hockey in crisis: Players refuse to play over unpaid allowances, accuse board of 'pocketing' funds

Karachi (The Uttam Hindu): Now the condition of sports is also bad in Pakistan which is facing financial crisis. Players of Pakistan's men's hockey team have opened a front against their own board. The players have openly accused the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) of 'cheating'. The players say that they have been given much less money than what the board had promised them. Angered by this 'cheating', the players have clearly refused to play in the second round of the FIH Pro League to be held in February next year.

What is the whole matter?

The main bone of contention is the daily allowance. A senior player revealed that the Pakistan Hockey Board had assured each player that they would receive 30,000 Pakistani rupees (PKR), or approximately 9,625 Indian rupees, per day during the Pro League tournament in Argentina.

But when it came time for payments, the players were cheated. Last week, when the money arrived in their accounts, it was only 11,000 PKR (about 3,529 Indian rupees). The players have called this a grave betrayal.

The board shrugged off the situation: "There's nothing we can do"

Surprisingly, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has shrugged off the situation instead of admitting its mistake. PHF Secretary Rana Mujahid admitted that, according to policy, players should have received only 30,000 rupees. However, he clarified, "The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) is bearing all the expenses for both phases of the Pro League competition, so we have no control over the release of funds and cannot do much about it."

Team loses in Argentina, now Australia tour in trouble

The Pakistani team's performance on the field has also been disappointing. The team lost all four matches on the Argentina tour. Now, the team is scheduled to play four matches in Australia in February. However, this strike and rebellion by the players has embarrassed Pakistan. If this dispute is not resolved soon, Pakistan could face international embarrassment and the team could be eliminated from the Australia tour.