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What's the story?
A lot of trouble has been brewing in the Pakistani hockey team owing to a troubled political scenario and lack of sponsors. There was a huge cloud of uncertainty looming over the Pakistan players making it to the Asian Games that begin from mid-August in the twin-island cities of Jakarta and Palembang.
The players had risen up in protest against the federation and had threatened to withdraw from the Games for they have been devoid of daily allowances for the last six months. However, keeping the bigger picture in mind, the Pakistan Hockey Federation has announced that it will pay the players, who have in turn, agreed to not boycott the tournament.
In case you didn't know...
Both the Indian and Pakistani teams have a long-standing on-field rivalry. The latest drama that took place was during the opening match of India in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The match started with India heading ahead with a 2-0 lead in the first half. Pakistan charged in the second half and equalled the score at 2-2 to force a draw.
The heart of the matter
The Pakistan hockey team had banked all their hopes on a change in the political climate of the nation with Imran Khan, an ex-cricketer himself, being elected to the head ofthe government.
There are hardly any sponsors made available to the hockey team, which leads to such issues. PHF President Brigadier (retd) Muhammad Khalid Sajjad Khokkar, has understood the overwhelming cons if players withdraw and has, hence, resolved the dispute in the nick of time.
"The president of Pakistan Hockey Federation had agreed to resolve the dispute," confirmed captain Rizwan Sr.
"The players threatened to boycott the event entirely had their dues not been cleared up and rightfully, and rightfully so." Rizwan Sr. rues, "We have not been paid a single penny for the last six months....We should be given our rights."
Had Pakistan opted out of the tournament it would have bereft the chances of a mouth-watering India vs Pakistan clash, although both teams belong to separate draws.
But the scenario in Pakistan is bad with funds not coming their way for major tournaments too. Rizwan highlights how this is directly responsible in creating a psychological pressure on the players and Pakistan's slow-dipping ranking in the world are stark signs.
What's next?
With Pakistan heading to the Asian Games, all is well again. Khokkar has realised the stakes for Pakistan here and has said he'd sell all of his belongings if need be, but he'll pay the players.
A lot depends on Pakistan's performance at ASIAD this time, because it'll determine their confirmation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Aside from this, the possibilities of an India-Pakistan clash also seem likely and we cannot wait to watch the drama unfold.
