Pakistan government pledges support for hockey revival as FIH announces Nations Cup

• The FIH president says Pakistan will host the next Nations Cup, featuring 10 international teams.
• Nasir Bunda Hockey Stadium has been approved as an FIH high-performance centre.
• The government has asked the Pakistan Hockey Federation to prepare a comprehensive revival plan.

The federal government has pledged its support for the revival of hockey in Pakistan as International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Tayyab Ikram announced that the country would host the next FIH Nations Cup.

Speaking at an event in Islamabad, Ikram said 10 international teams would take part in the tournament. He also announced approval for Nasir Bunda Hockey Stadium to become an official FIH high-performance centre.

Rana Sanaullah, the federal government’s representative for inter-provincial coordination, said hockey had long been a source of national pride, although Pakistan’s performances had been disappointing for an extended period.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed that special attention be given to the sport and that efforts be made to restore Pakistan’s standing internationally. The government would stand by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), he said, and provide players with facilities and support.

Sanaullah asked the federation to prepare a comprehensive plan and said former players should contribute to the revival. He called for people committed to playing for the country to take the lead in the sport.

Ikram said Pakistan needed to improve its hockey governance and that players would require financial support, modern training and coaches of international standard. He also said India should come to Pakistan to play.

PHF President Mohyuddin Wani said government-level efforts were under way to promote hockey and expressed hope that the event would mark the beginning of a new phase for the sport.

Parliamentarians including Wajiha Akram, Nuzhat Sadiq, Zeb Jaffar and Anjum Aqeel attended, along with former players Shahnaz Sheikh, Shahbaz Senior, Tahir Zaman, Nasir Ali, Shakeel Abbasi, Rehan Butt, Owais Karni and Hasan Askari Bukhari.

Zeb Jaffar said the 10-team tournament would help promote hockey and described the agreement between the PHF and FIH as a significant step.