- Bugti’s resignation is accepted with immediate effect.
- Bugti accuses PSB of delaying funds during his Australian tour.
- Sanaullah says the PSB investigation report is submitted to the Prime Minister.
Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani took charge after being appointed as ad hoc president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) following the resignation of working president Tariq Bugti.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the PHF boss-in-chief, on Thursday approved Bugti’s resignation as PHF chairman with immediate effect.
The Prime Minister also became aware of the mismanagement of the hockey federation.
Bugti resigned, accusing the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) of mismanagement and failing to release funds on time for travel and logistics costs related to the team’s participation in the FIH Pro League.
He alleged payments for hotel bookings in Australia had not been made on time, creating major difficulties for players and officials, and claimed he was told at PSB the process could take up to two months.
He called on Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to form a commission to investigate the matter and establish the facts.
Bugti also announced a two-year suspension against Pakistan captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, accusing him of threatening other players and waging a campaign against the federation’s leadership, and said the PHF had decided a day earlier to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Butt for misconduct.
The prime minister’s adviser on interprovincial coordination, Rana Sanaulla, later said a three-member commission of inquiry formed by the PSB had completed its probe and submitted its report to the prime minister, with sources familiar with the matter saying the findings held the PHF responsible.
Butt, meanwhile, made allegations of mismanagement and mental harassment against team management and the PHF, saying players were subjected to conditions that no professional athlete should face.
He said players were forced to carry out menial tasks during the tour, including cleaning kitchens, washing dishes, washing their own clothes and cleaning toilets before taking the field for training and matches.
Separately, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met players of the men’s national hockey team in Lahore and promised to address their grievances over alleged mistreatment during the Pro Hockey League, while pledging his support ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in Egypt.
“We will welcome hockey players in every possible way. We will extend comprehensive cooperation to streamline hockey business,” Naqvi said.
He directed officials to make immediate arrangements for flight tickets, playing equipment and hotel accommodation, ordered that a training camp be set up from Friday and preparations completed by Thursday evening, and ordered that the injured players be given immediate medical treatment under the supervision of the PCB.
Naqvi also distributed checks of one million rupees each to players after their second-place finish in a recent national hockey tournament, as per an earlier announcement.
He clarified on X that he had no ambition to lead the PHF, writing: “I am not becoming president of the Hockey Federation, but we will assist the players until this turmoil is over. »
After taking charge, Wani said there was very little time left for the World Cup qualifying round and the camp would begin “today or tomorrow”. He said he would meet with the players and decide what steps to take to improve hockey, adding that the steps he takes now will be in the short term.
Wani also announced the lifting of the ban on captain Ammad Shakeel Butt and said emergency measures for the promotion and revival of hockey have been put in place.
He said work was underway to restore confidence and reconstitute the management of the team, while the supervision and training system would be improved and institutional coordination strengthened.
He urged players to focus only on training and matches, saying the federation would take care of administrative matters, and added that all decisions would be made on the basis of transparency and merit.
