PHF Ignores Merit Policy, Select Players Out Of National Jr. Hockey Championship

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Augst,2016) : Pakistan Hockey Federation ignored its merit policy by including those players in the camp who are not even part of the National Junior Under-18 Hockey Championship a set criteria for selection as far as short-listing players for the camps are concerned. In this connection the players who had participated in the National Junior Under-18 Hockey Championship and were short-listed by the selection committee of the Pakistan Hockey Federation have been ignored after the announcement of the 45 probable for the Camp. One of promising skipper of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team which won runners-up trophy in the National Junior U-18 Hockey Championship has been kicked out from the camp along with other players.

Yasir Ali and his other team members were actually announced in the 66 probable for the camp but were ignored in the final 45 short-listed probable. We all are ignored but included those players who did not play or part of the 66 probable short-listed in the first phase.

Yasir is currently part of the PHF White team participating in 9-A Side ongoing hockey tournament in Karachi. When contacted, Secretary General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hockey Association Syed Zahir Shah, who is also member of the Executive board of the PHF, said that the issued was discussed with Secretary PHF Olympian Muhammad Shabaz Senior he told that the selection would ensure purely on merit. Zahir Shah said after the announcement of the 45 probable for the camp, he was shocked to see that some talented players, who played a key role in the team success at national championship, were ignored and some of the players were included who even did not participated in the National Junior Under-18 Hockey Championship. Shah said he had also discussed the same with the President PHF Brig.

(Retd) Khalid Sajjad Kokar and particularly named those who were included on Perchi basis. Zahir Shah recalled that since 2000 it was a precedent that individual were entertained and the provinces are bypassed as a result the hockey went down rapidly.

He said Pakistan is out the Olympic and World Cup as in the last 24-year we did not win any medal in the Olympic. He said like in the past, the same thing is adopted by putting merit aside and if merit was not followed then it is difficult task to achieve the glory of Pakistan hockey.

He questioned how players who did not even represent their respective provinces in the National Championship but was included in the National Under-18 Hockey Camp. He said if such like steps would continue of selecting and including 'Perchi' players in the camps or in the team, the hockey is going down day by day, would not be able to achieve top position. He disclosed that they have already called an important meeting of the KP Hockey Association to discuss the issue pertaining to the province regarding bypassing the province and entertaining the individuals.

He said this issue would also be brought in the knowledge of the Chief Patron of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan. He said earlier on such precedent were adopted at the PHF which greatly damaged the national game so we are morally bound to identify these things to save the hockey from further disastrous.

When contact, President PHF Brig. (Retd) Khalid Sajjad Kokar, he said, they have included the players who did not even part of the National Championship by giving them chance to show their skills.

It is an open trials and anyone can come and take part in the trials. We are morally and legally bound to give ample opportunities to the youngsters associated with this game so that to widen up a selection parameters, he added. When asked why PHF bypassing the association which had contacted similar trials before short-listing teams for the national championship and even spent lot of money over all process, he agreed that the associations are working dedicatedly but if any players who missed the train, the PHF has provided an opportunity for them to come and show their worth. We are all in process of rebuilding and want to re-achieve the lost glory of hockey, he remarked.

I have also asked KP Hockey Association to see if any player who failed to have his place in the teams for national championship, which is set criteria for selection, to send them for the camps,” Brig. Sajjad Kokar added.