Shehla Raza and hockey Olympians demand ad-hoc setup; urge PM to rescue national game
Shehla Raza and hockey Olympians demand ad-hoc setup; urge PM to rescue national game
By Nawaz Gohar ; Member of the “National Assembly (MNA) Shehla Raza” has issued a passionate plea to Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, urging the immediate imposition of an ad-hoc setup over the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).
Addressing a high-profile press conference at the National Press Club Islamabad, flanked by a “who’s who” of Pakistan hockey, including legends Shahnaz Sheikh, Samiullah, Kalimullah, Hanif Khan, Nasir Ali, and Shakeel Abbasi, Shehla Raza called for the appointment of a neutral interim president to oversee transparent and fair elections.
Shehla Raza launched a scathing critique of current PHF President Tariq Bugti, asserting that he was never a democratically elected leader. “Tariq Bugti was tasked with club scrutiny and organizing elections, yet he bypassed legal norms to have himself declared president,” Shehla Raza said.
She added that a caretaker, by law, cannot contest the very elections they are mandated to organise. She also highlighted a recent letter from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) that raised serious red flags regarding the PHF’s financial credibility and rejected the “one-sided” scrutiny of hockey clubs.
The veteran Olympians echoed this sentiment, painting a grim picture of the sport’s decline. Legendary forward Shahnaz Sheikh reminded the Prime Minister of earlier recommendations for neutral leadership, while the “Flying Horse” Samiullah lamented the 20-year decay of the national game. “When a team is ranked 18th in the world, no corporate entity will sponsor them,” Samiullah warned, emphasizing that only by empowering genuine grassroots clubs can Pakistan hockey be revived.
The speakers further accused PHF official Rana Mujahid of creating a self-serving registration portal to favor hand-picked clubs. Shehla Raza questioned the motives of the Pakistan Sports Board, suggesting that if the government does not intervene, “we might as well read the last rites for Pakistan hockey.” She pointed out the dire financial state of the players, who are currently struggling even for their daily allowances.
The press conference concluded with a unified demand for the Prime Minister to act decisively, sweep away the current controversial administration, and usher in a golden era of hockey through a transparent, merit-based electoral process.
