Pakistani hockey players’ financial problems are only escalating further as they have not received their unpaid dues yet from the national federation (PHF), and now their daily training camp allowance is being cut ahead of the FIH World Cup, which will take place in the Netherlands and Belgium in August of this year. The national team’s players and officials will now get a daily allowance of USD 110 while travelling overseas, according to the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) interim setup.
Players Expose Financial Crisis
According to a PTI report, the players have expressed dissatisfaction about the reduction of their training camp allowance from USD 11 (3000 rupees) to USD 3.5 (1000 rupees) (INR 335). A source close to the PHF claimed that the senior players had requested confirmation from the PHF regarding their allowance for the length of training camp.
The players were not pleased with Pakistan’s decision to leave out the skipper when they announced their 20-man roster for the FIH Pro League games in Belgium and England next month on Thursday. Pakistan has been led by Shakeel Ammad Butt since the beginning of last year.
“They have announced we will get USD 110 daily allowance for foreign tours, including the World Cup qualifying event we had played in Egypt, but we will only believe it unless we are paid that amount,” one player told PTI on condition of anonymity.
He claimed that PHF officials had previously made similar promises but had never kept them.
“Right now we just want to know whether it is true they will pay us just 1000 rupees daily for the camp duration. This amount is an insult to national players,” another player said.
Pakistan will play Belgium, Spain, England, and arch-rivals India in the third leg of the FIH Pro League, which is set for June 13–27.
After that, Pakistan will take part in the FIH World Cup.
Pakistan’s FIH Pro League Squad
Goalkeepers: Waqar Ali, Ali Raza.
Defenders: Abu Bakar, Arbaz Ahmad, Mohammad Abdullah, Sufyan Khan.
Midfielders: Nadeem Khan, Ammad Shakeel, Moin Shakeel, Hammad Anjum, Zakriya Hayat.
Forwards: Gjazanfar Ali, Mohammad Emmad, Rana Waleed, Afraz Khan, Rana Wahid, Abdur Rahman, Ahmad Nadeem, Arshad Liaquat, Hanan Shahid.