- Bugti’s resignation accepted with immediate effect.
- Bugti blames PSB for delayed funds during Australia tour.
- Sanaullah says the PSB inquiry report has been submitted to the Prime Minister.
Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani has been appointed ad hoc president of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) following the resignation of incumbent president Tariq Bugti.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the supreme patron of PHF, has approved Bugti’s resignation as president of PHF with immediate effect on Thursday.
The prime minister has also noticed the poor management in the hockey association.
Bugti resigned, accusing the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) of mismanagement and failure to release funds on time for travel and logistical expenses associated with the team’s participation in the FIH Pro League.
He alleged that payments for hotel bookings in Australia were not made on time, causing major difficulties for players and officials, and claimed he was told by the PSB that the process could take up to two months.
He appealed to the Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to form a committee to investigate the matter and establish the facts.
Bugti also announced a two-year ban for Pakistan captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, accusing him of threatening fellow players and waging a campaign against the federation’s management, and said the PHF had decided a day earlier to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Butt for misconduct.
Adviser to the prime minister on inter-provincial coordination, Rana Sanaulla, later said a three-member inquiry committee formed by the PSB had completed its investigation and submitted its report to the prime minister, with sources familiar with the development saying the findings held the PHF accountable.
Butt, meanwhile, leveled allegations of mismanagement and mental harassment against the team management and the PHF, saying players were subjected to conditions no professional athlete should face.
He said players were made to do menial tasks during the tour, including cleaning kitchens, washing dishes, washing their own clothes and scrubbing toilets before taking to the field for training and matches.
Separately, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the national men’s hockey players in Lahore and promised to address their complaints of alleged abuse during the Pro Hockey League, while pledging support ahead of World Cup qualifiers in Egypt.
“We will accommodate hockey players in every possible way. We will extend full cooperation to streamline hockey matters,” Naqvi said.
He directed the officials to make immediate arrangements for air tickets, playing kits and hotel accommodation, ordered a training camp to be established from Friday with preparations completed by Thursday evening, and directed that injured players be given immediate medical treatment under PCB supervision.
Naqvi also distributed checks of Rs1 million each to players after their runner-up finish in a recent national hockey tournament, fulfilling an earlier announcement.
He clarified on X that he had no ambitions to lead the PHF, writing: “I will not be the president of the hockey federation, but we will help players until this unrest ends.”
