A grant of Rs. 100 million was awarded to Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet on Wednesday, the grant will give some relief to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for their upcoming international sports events.
Pakistan hockey team will participate in Olympic Qualifiers, the five-a-side Hockey World Cup, and will host India in the Davis Cup Group-I match this year. The match against India will be held at the Sports Complex in Islamabad.
ECC approved a summary regarding this which said, “Hockey is the national sport of Pakistan with a record of achieving four Hockey World Cup titles (in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994) and three gold medals in the Olympic Games field hockey tournaments”.
After a request received from the PSB, ECC has approved a grant of Rs100 million for Pakistan’s participation in forthcoming international sports events including Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, five-a-side Hockey World Cup and hosting India in the Davis Cup Group I tie.
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PSB urgently requested grants for the upcoming hockey events, in the wake of which the grants were awarded.
Other sports federations in the country also requested grants and their request was accepted by the ECC, although with some minimal deductions.
The letter issued by PSB on January 2, 2024, requested for Rs. 37.5 million grant for the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier, commencing on 15 January. An additional Rs. 25 million Men’s FIH 5S Hockey World Cup will begin on 28 January. Both the finals of these respective events will be held on 21 January and 31 January in Oman respectively.
The government’s role has been pivotal in keeping hockey alive, as the PHF heavily relies on grants and support from the government both technically and financially.
