Pakistan Hockey Players Still Not Paid Their Daily Allowance

Pakistan’s hockey team has fought hard to reach the semi-finals of the FIH Nations Cup in Malaysia—a sign of progress in a sport where good news has been rare. But while the players are delivering on the field, their efforts are being ignored off it once more.

According to journalists Munbeeb Farrukh and Faizan Lakhani, for the last 10 days, since the day they landed in Malaysia, the team hasn’t received a single day’s worth of their daily allowance. The players, coaches, and support staff are supposed to get a set amount of money each day to cover their basic needs: meals, transport, and essentials, which is the standard across international tournaments. Yet these athletes representing the green shirt are being treated as if their sacrifices mean nothing.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), yet again, has failed to meet its most basic responsibility.

The timing couldn’t be worse. After years of poor results and instability, this Nations Cup run has offered a glimmer of hope for Pakistan hockey. The team has just made it to the semi-finals—a step closer to joining the big leagues once more.

For a federation already under fire for mismanagement and lack of vision, this is another dark stain. Hockey fans in Pakistan deserve answers, but more importantly, the players deserve respect.

Reaching the semi-finals of the Nations Cup should have been a proud moment. But the PHF has turned it into a reminder of how far Pakistan hockey still has to go—not just in results, but in how it treats its own heroes.