Pakistan Hockey Players associated with Indian rebel league likely to be kicked out
Getting harder in their standpoint, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has asked all the hockey players, who have links with the Indian rebel league namely World Series Hockey (WSH), to proclaim their disjunction ahead of the selection of the national team
for the upcoming Malaysia-based Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament, or else would be dealt with an iron hand.
Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), the self-proclaimed governing body of the country in joint venture with Nimbus Sports launched the WSH. It plans to organise the tournament on lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a glamorous touch. However, Hockey
India (HI) and International Hockey Federation (FIH) had declared it as unofficial.
Many leading Pakistani hockey players, including five former skippers, of which four are still playing in the national squad have been associated with the WSH, the rebel league starting its operation in India by the end of this year. The FIH warned all the
associated hockey federations across the globe to stay away from the unofficial league.
Shakeel Abbasi, Rehan Butt and Waseem Ahmad, who are scheduled to leave for Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, are among the major suspects. The other names in the suspected list are Adnan Maqsood, Muhammad Saqlain and Zeeshan Ashraf. Zeeshan Ashraf was the skipper,
who captured the Asian Games gold medal after two decades. It is quite a critical period for the hockey legends, as according to the federation’s warning they will have to choose whether the rebel league or the national team.
The PHF in clear words has forwarded a message to all players getting training under the supervision of Michel van den Heuvel at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium to announce their disassociation with the WSH ahead of the selection process. The selection committee
is due to announce the final squad on April 28, which will leave for Malaysia.
Asif Bajwa, the Secretary of the PHF said, “My warning is also for those who are not attending the national camp, not to join any controversial league as it will close the doors on them for all international hockey in and outside Pakistan.”
The Secretary was of the opinion that the federation would not make any compromise in this regard and players found linked with the unofficial league would be banned for one-year from the national and international hockey.
Zeeshan Ashraf, who has been unhappy with the federation, along with Saqlain is likely to contest in the multi-million rebel league. Zeeshan was also withdrawn from the upcoming Malaysia-based tournament saying that new talent should be given a chance in
the international tournaments.
Bajwa explained that the world governing body of the sport had clearly warned all its associated federations to disapprove the league and keep their players away from the event. He said, “The FIH has already warned all its affiliated countries to discourage
any controversial league, and under its instructions the players will not be permitted to feature in any tournament world over; we will also not allow such players to even represent their departments in domestic competitions.”
The PHF official stressed that the legendary trio of Wasim Ahmed, Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi had given assurance that they would not partake in the rebel league. But they violated the decorum and inked the contracts with the league. In clear worlds, the
official said that the culprits would be dealt strictly. The future of the Pakistani hockey team seems uncertain, as mega events are laying ahead.
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