Trouble for Pakistani hockey team in Australia, hotel bills outstanding, players had to spend time on the road

Tezzbuzz Desk- Pakistan hockey team faced serious chaos in Canberra, Australia during the second leg of FIH Pro League. When the team reached there, the hotel management canceled their booking citing non-payment of dues. As a result, players and officials wandered for hours without a place to stay.

According to sources, the team was booked in a four-star hotel and they were told that the Pakistan Hockey Federation and Pakistan Sports Board had made the advance payment. But on reaching Canberra the hotel made it clear that neither any payment had been received nor was the booking confirmed.

Head coach Tahir Zaman tried to contact the relevant authorities in Pakistan, but an immediate solution could not be found due to the time difference and alleged lack of funds. After a long journey, the players had neither rest nor food facilities. After a lot of efforts, the hotel provided limited rooms, where two-three players had to stay together.

Amidst these circumstances, the team had to take the field the very next day, where it had to face a 2-3 defeat against Australia. Pakistan are already struggling in the Pro League and have lost all six matches played so far. His performance against top teams like Australia and Germany has been lackluster.

This incident is not the first. Even during the first phase in Argentina, the players did not receive their daily allowance on time, due to which they continued to struggle with financial constraints. This time the team went on tour without a regular manager. Former Olympian Anjum Saeed was removed from the post after a case of alleged indiscipline.

Although the daily allowance for the players was fixed at US$115, the current incidents have raised serious questions over administrative mismanagement. Some people from the local Pakistani community in Canberra had to come forward and help.

Pakistan, which once dominated the Olympics and world hockey, is today struggling with economic crisis, administrative chaos and internal disputes. This case is not just a defeat, but a mirror of the system which has forced the players to struggle more for basic facilities than for the game.