ANSAR BHATTI
ISLAMABAD: The Sub-Committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has taken strong notice of the issues faced by the national hockey team and announced that it will seek a detailed briefing on the matter.
The sub-committee meeting, held at Parliament House under the convenership of Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, was attended by Pakistan Hockey Federation’s Ad-hoc President and Federal Secretary IPC Mohyuddin Wani, the Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), and other committee members. Participants expressed deep concern over the current state of hockey in the country.
Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto said that what had happened to the national hockey team was unfortunate and that the committee would review who was actually responsible for the incompetence. “Our hearts beat for hockey just as they do for cricket. We will determine who is responsible for ruining our sports,” she remarked.
Committee member Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan stated that both the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Hockey Federation had failed in their responsibilities. He proposed that a meeting be arranged with the Prime Minister to discuss hockey-related matters and that the inquiry report submitted to the committee be presented.
During the session, PSB officials also briefed the committee on various development projects. They revealed that the Biomechanical Lab project, launched in 2014, is still incomplete. The hockey astroturf project in Gilgit took 15 years to complete, with its cost escalating from Rs35 million to Rs123 million.
The Narowal Sports City project, initiated in 2012, was halted in 2018. Its estimated cost surged from Rs732 million to Rs6 billion before being transferred to the Higher Education Commission. Officials said the increase in cost was due to efforts to upgrade the facility to international standards.
Reacting strongly, Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto termed the situation a “tragedy,” saying it was alarming that despite the passage of so many years, projects could not be completed. She noted that Narowal is the constituency of Ahsan Iqbal, yet the project remained unfinished. She added that despite having substantial funds, the Pakistan Sports Board had failed to complete key initiatives.
