Goalkeeper Waqar Younus laments PHF apathy during hard times

LAHORE: Pakistan goalkeeper Waqar Younus, who underwent a knee surgery at local a hospital recently, has expressed strong displeasure over the treatment meted out to him by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) during tough times.

“I was sent back from Oman after I suffered a knee injury during the Olympic qualifying round match [in January this year]. Surprisingly, the PHF also withdrew the daily allowance of my remaining days in Oman before sending me back to Pakistan instead of helping me to recover,” a dejected Waqar said while talking to reporters from the Jinnah Hospital, a government institution, on Friday.

“I did not receive any assistance hand from the PHF, despite the fact that I got injured while on duty,” the player said while lamenting “no PHF official came to meet me before the operation”.

Waqar regretted his fellow players also did not come to inquire about his health, and only contacted him over telephone. “This is the reward which I have received for my eight-year services for hockey.”

However, Waqar said that he received encouraging messages from his department Wapda and his Dar Hockey Academy for financial assistance.

It may be mentioned here that due to struggle for pow­er among different hockey lobbies in the country, neither PHF affairs nor those of hockey players are being managed satisfactorily.

Recently, the PHF was split into two factions, one headed by Shehla Raza as president and the oth­er by Tariq Hussain Bugti.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PHF is yet to pay dues of around Rs60 million to its players and officials. To one’s utter surprise, the federation staffers have not received their salaries for the past seven months.