The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) took disciplinary action against three men's senior team players and one physiotherapist for seeking asylum in European countries on Thursday. The PHF slapped a life ban on three senior hockey players Murtaza Yaqoob, Ihtesham Aslam, Abdur Rahma and the team physiotherapist Waqas Mehmood.
Pakistan's hockey team has witnessed a sharp decline in form and international stature in recent years and was hit with a major scandal on Thursday. Players are reportedly skipping national camps due to travel allowances and daily subsistence payments but their recent effort to seek asylum is likely to damage Pakistan's position in hockey.
The PHF Secretary General Rana Mujahid revealed that the three players missed the national training camp for the Asian Champions Trophy. He added that these three players travelled to the Netherlands and Poland without informing the federation and sought political asylum.
Mujahid added that the PHF is also likely to face VISA issues for international tournaments and they have informed Pakistan's Interior and Foreign ministries to take strong action.
"When the team returned home and we announced a training camp for the Asian Champions Trophy, the three informed us that due to domestic issues, they wouldn't be able to attend the camp," Rana Mujahid said. "Later we came to know that they had flown out to Holland once again on the same Schengen visas issued to the team and sought political asylum there. We have already notified the interior and foreign ministries for further action.
"It is learnt that you are playing the leagues in foreign countries without any information/intimation to the Pakistan Hockey Federation. You have violated all norms of the discipline and mistrusted the PHF. The 57th meeting of PHF Congress strongly recommended to President PHF and after the approval of President PHF, LIFE BAN is imposed on above mention officials and players from playing hockey and other hockey affairs with immediate effect."
