FIH Pro League suspension upsets POA chief.

Byline: Mohammad Yaqoob

LAHORE -- Pakistan Olympic Association president retired Lt Gen Syed Arif Hasan on Thursday expressed disappointment over the national hockey team's suspension from the FIH Pro League due to paucity of funds in PHF coffers.

Talking to reporters after distributing prizes at the end of the National Badminton Championship here on Thursday, Arif said the Pakistani athletes already get fewer opportunities to participate in international contests, adding the Pro League suspension would create further distress among athletes.

'Pakistan should grab such [sporting] opportunities as the country is already lagging behind in the world of sports,' he insisted.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Hockey Federation failed to fulfil its commitment made with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) of sending the national team to Argentina, Australia and New Zealand to play the Pro

League matches against the hosts scheduled from Feb 2 to 24, because the PHF had claimed it was short of funds.

The FIH, in response, suspended Pakistan, a former four-time World Cup winners, from the inaugural league comprising teams from nine nations.

In the lead-up to the January-June 2019 Pro League, the PHF made a number of appeals to the federal government to release a grant for sending the national team to the league, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Arif said the South Asian Games, which were to be held in...