PM’s generosity: National sport set for Rs50 million windfall

PHF’s grant request finally goes through

LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has finally succeeded in convincing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to approve a mega Rs50 million grant, which it will use to organise a series of domestic tournaments as well as international tours for teams of all men and women age groups.

According to a letter sent by the Prime Minister Office to the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC), “This grant-in-aid of Rs50 million shall be provided to the PHF immediately in a single tranche from the funds allocated to the PSB, Ministry of IPC, in the budget for the 2016-17 financial year.”

The PM’s loosening of the purse strings did not come as a surprise as the PHF had been knocking on his door for quite some time.



As per PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, Rs10 million of the allotted funds will cover the expenses incurred on the recently concluded U21 team’s training camp for their participation in the ongoing four-nation hockey tournament in Germany.

Another Rs16 million have been earmarked to send the U21 team to more European tours, including France, Spain and Belgium. The seniors, on the other hand, are scheduled to partake in the Asian Champions Trophy in Qatar later this year, and the tour’s training in Lahore will be fuelled by the Rs16 million set aside from the aforementioned cash injection.

The remaining sum of Rs8 million will be spent on the training camp for the U18 team’s trip to Dhaka, where the Youth Asia Cup will take place in September.



In addition to the international tours, the PHF’s agenda also has the 29th National Women Championship, the Asian Women Hockey championship, an inaugural nine-a-side tournament in Karachi as well as the COAS Gold Cup Hockey Championship.

Once those are out of the way, the PHF also plans on holding several inter-district and inter-school tournaments to improve the infrastructure of hockey at grass roots.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2016.

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