LAHORE: The players of Pakistan’s national hockey team have received a daily allowance for 25 days for their participation in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy.
The payment follows a delay caused by a lack of funds earlier this year.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had been unable to provide daily allowances for the players during August and September due to financial constraints.
However, after securing the necessary funds, the PHF issued a payment of 20,000 rupees per day to each player.
The federation expressed its gratitude to the players for their patience and cooperation during the delay.
They also confirmed that the daily allowances for the junior hockey team players have been paid.
It is pertinent to mention that on December 4, India defeated Pakistan 5-3 in the final of the men’s Junior Hockey Asia Cup 2024.
Pakistan got off to a flying start in the blockbuster contest, taking an early lead through skipper Hannan Shahid just three minutes into the game.
However, the Green Shirts’ lead did not last long, as Hundal equalized in the next minute, forcing the first quarter to end at 1-1.
India completely dominated the proceedings in the second quarter, with the defending champions scoring back-to-back goals through Dilraj Singh and Hundal in the 18th and 19th minutes, respectively, to take a 3-1 lead.
Pakistan responded in the penultimate quarter and levelled the score at 3-3, courtesy of Sufiyan Khan’s brace, which came in the 30th and 39th minutes, respectively.
The fourth and final quarter saw the defending champions outclass Pakistan by scoring two goals through Araijeet Singh Hundal, which proved to be the difference in the final scoreline.
Notably, both Pakistan and India entered the final on the back of unbeaten runs in the group stage and semi-final.
This marked India’s third consecutive title victory at the Men’s Junior Hockey Asia Cup. The Men in Blue had also defeated Pakistan in the final of the previous edition.
Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
