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In a disheartening turn of events, Pakistan’s hockey team took loan for their air tickets to fly to China to participate in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024. Pakistan recently enjoyed success at the Azlan Shah Cup by winning silver a few months ago. The team’s poor economic state came into focus during a press briefing when Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Tariq Bugti mentioned that funds are expected to arrive soon.
Not only this, but he also appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to introduce a dedicated financial package for hockey. As per Free Press Journal, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) announced to reimburse the PHF for the expenses shortly. The development came after the PSB earlier declined to fund Pakistan's under-18 baseball team. The board cited financial difficulties for their inability to fund the team which will compete in the Asian Championships in Chinese Taipei.
Flying on loaned tickets was not the only hardship faced by the Pakistan team as after their cancelled flight from Beijing, the team had to take a 300-kilometre road trip to reach their destination. Notably, Pakistan, once considered as one of the best teams in world hockey faced a significant decline. Talking about their campaign at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024, the Men in Green ended their warm-up match against China in a 4-4 draw.
The match saw Pakistan Sufyan scoring twice from penalty corners along with significant contributions from Abdul Rahman and Emad Butt. The competition is set to kick start on September 8 and will continue till 17th September.
