Player crisis: Coach Rehan takes to the field

Hockey team left with 15 members after Samiullah not granted visa for Games

KARACHI: In a surprising move, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) asked Pakistan Whites coach Rehan Butt to take to the field as a player after Samiullah was not granted the visa by the Indian authorities for the South Asian Games.

“We do have 15 members in the squad but to execute our strategies, for which we have trained strenuously in the last month, we have to have 16 members,” said Rehan. “We want to do well in the competition. I was asked to fill in and was happy to oblige. No other standby player could receive a visa on such short notice, hence my name came up.”



PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, meanwhile, vented his frustration. “The Games are taking place after being delayed many times and when they are finally happening, the Indian authorities are refusing visas for our players,” said Shahbaz. “This is mismanagement on their part.”

Rehan played in the Greenshirts’ opener, winning 3-0 against Sri Lanka.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th,  2016.

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