LAHORE: Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday met the national men’s hockey players and promised to address their complaints of alleged abuse during the Pro Hockey League and promised full institutional support ahead of World Cup qualifiers in Egypt – while making it clear that he has no ambitions to lead the Pakistan Hockey Federation.
At a meeting in Lahore, Mohsin Naqvi met members of the national hockey team who informed him about unpleasant incidents they faced during the Pro Hockey League. He expressed regret over the alleged ill-treatment of players and assured them of full institutional support.
“We will accommodate hockey players in every possible way. We will extend full cooperation to streamline hockey matters,” Naqvi said.
The PCB chairman directed the officials to make immediate arrangements for flight tickets, playing kits and hotel accommodation for the team ahead of the upcoming World Cup Qualifier tournament in Egypt.
He also ordered that a training camp be established for the players from Friday with instructions that all preparations should be completed by Thursday evening.
Naqvi further directed that injured players should receive immediate medical treatment under PCB supervision and urged the players to remain focused on their game.
“You should focus only on the game. Pakistan’s honor comes first. We will not allow the country’s dignity to be compromised under any circumstances,” Naqvi told Hockey players.
During the meeting, Naqvi also distributed checks of Rs1 million each to players after their runner-up finish in the recent national hockey tournament, fulfilling an earlier announcement.
The players thanked the PCB boss for meeting them and for his support and encouragement during a challenging time.
After the meeting, Naqvi categorically clarified that he would not join the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) but would continue to help the players till the end of the unrest.
“I will not be the president of the hockey association, but we will help players until this unrest ends,” Naqvi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
His clarification came after Tariq Bugti formally resigned as the president of the PHF and sent his resignation to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif.
