In Pakistan, discussions and debates about problems and resources continue all the time. When it comes to sports, the conversation goes a step further. Every sports federation has the same complaint.we do not have funds.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Sports Board which provides financial assistance to federations and associations on behalf of the Government of Pakistan maintains that the financial affairs of these federations and associations are highly disorganized. According to the Sports Board, these bodies readily turn up when it is time to receive funds, but when asked to present accounts and financial records, they disappear as if they do not exist at all.

The Sports Board also says that there are serious questions regarding the transparency of elections within the relevant units of these sports organizations.

Last week, I was in Islamabad. The national hockey team’s camp was underway at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium. In the second phase of the Pro League, instead of focusing on matches against Australia and Germany, the team was more concerned about whether it would travel to Australia or not and the reason was the players’ daily allowances.

The Pakistan Sports Board said that, under the rules, it is bound to pay a daily allowance of 40 dollars. The players, however, argued that the dollar amount should be paid at the rate of 30,000 rupees. The situation escalated to the point of a strike. Throughout this entire episode, the Hockey Federation remained a silent spectator, because at that time it wanted to stay on good terms with the Sports Board. According to the government, all financial matters are to be decided by the Pakistan Sports Board.

I spoke to the players of the national hockey team about this issue. They were deeply disappointed, and their grievance was justified. They had given up thousands of dollars in foreign leagues to come and represent Pakistan, and the way they were being treated here was heartbreaking.

The players do not have jobs. The federation does not pay them a monthly salary. They receive nothing in the name of match fees. And on top of that, they are being forced to run from pillar to post even for a daily allowance of just a few thousand rupees.

On 28 January 2026, Pakistan Hockey Federation Secretary and Olympian Rana Mujahid announced the team that would play the Pro League in Hobart, Australia. Even then, the situation was still unclear.

Regarding the issue of daily allowances, Pakistan Sports Board Director Yasir Pirzada took a personal interest in the matter. He assured captain Imad Shakeel Butt that the Sports Board would find a better solution. A few hours after the team announcement, Yasir Pirzada himself visited Naseer Bunda Stadium and announced that the players would be given a daily allowance of 30,000 rupees. As promised, before the national team’s departure, he also ensured that each player was paid the amount through cheques.

There is a need to manage the financial matters of the Pakistan hockey team for the Pro League in a proper and organized manner. If Yasir Pirzada, as Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board, is handling affairs in a better way, then the Pakistan Hockey Federation should fully cooperate with him. In this lies the survival of the national sport, hockey.