LAUSANNE: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Wednesday, formally invited the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to send its team to participate in the Hockey Pro League.
According to the global federation, Hockey New Zealand decided against participating in the event despite winning the FIH Nations Cup last month.
As a result, the FIH extended the invitation to the runners-up of the Nations Cup Pakistan, who have been given a deadline of August 12 to inform the apex federation of their decision to accept or deny the invitation.
Earlier today, it was reported that Hockey New Zealand, who were given a deadline of July 21 to confirm its participation, officially withdrew from the ‘League of the Best’ due to financial constraints as the primary reason, leaving a vacant spot.
Reports indicate that New Zealand has significantly cut its budget for the current Olympic cycle, which forced the federation to make difficult decisions.
Earlier, New Zealand had also opted not to send its women’s team to the Pro League due to similar financial limitations.
Similarly, the PHF has been the centre of financial turmoil since the Nations Cup, with national players still awaiting the issuance of their unpaid dues.
Sources revealed that each player is owed approximately PKR 500,000 in unpaid daily allowances.
They also stated that there has been no progress on resolving the matter and that PHF officials have stopped responding altogether.
Sources further added that international daily allowances were not paid during the FIH Nations Cup, which has caused growing frustration among players. The continued silence from the federation has only added to their anger.
Furthermore, the players have also not received allowances for the training camps held in two phases in Islamabad.
Sources noted that players are entitled to PKR 30,000 per day for international duties and PKR 3,000 per day for domestic activities.
Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
