Mumbai, January 29 – The Pakistan men’s hockey team players have agreed to participate in the second phase of the FIH Hockey Men’s Pro League following the resolution of a payment dispute. The crisis, which arose due to nearly two weeks of protests and boycott of training camps over unpaid dues, has been temporarily averted, according to a report on Thursday.
According to the report, Rana Mujahid, Secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), met with the players in Islamabad on Thursday and assured them that they would receive a daily allowance of 114 US dollars (approximately 30,000 Pakistani rupees) for the upcoming matches in the Pro League’s second phase scheduled next month in Hobart, Australia.
Sources told the website Telecom Asia Sport that the Pakistan Sports Board had allocated a substantial sum of 250 million Pakistani rupees to the PHF for the Pro League. The board had raised objections last December during the first phase due to issues with arrangements and payments, directing the federation to clear all pending dues to players within a week.
One player told Telecom Asia Sport that the agreement applies only to the second phase, and there has been no concrete assurance regarding the clearance of old pending payments. The player said, “We made every effort to save this tour, but the PHF remained unyielding. This situation is very disappointing because hockey is our livelihood.”
The player further added, “We boycotted training sessions and finally, after intervention by the Sports Board, received assurances. We hope PHF will keep its promise and we will not face difficulties during the Australia tour.”
Pakistan will play matches in the Pro League’s second phase against Australia on February 10 and 13, and against Germany on February 11 and 14.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan secured second place in last year’s FIH Nations Cup. However, due to financial reasons and New Zealand’s withdrawal, Pakistan was given the opportunity to participate in the Pro League.
Pakistan’s performance in the first phase of the nine-team competition was disappointing, as the team lost all four matches. They were defeated by the Netherlands with scores of 7-3 and 5-2, and by Argentina with scores of 5-1 and 3-2.
Pakistan, a four-time world champion and three-time Olympic champion, has not qualified for the Olympics since 2012.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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