PM appoints interim PHF president after Bugti resigns

• Bugti’s resignation accepted with immediate effect.
• Bugti blames PSB for delayed funds during Australia tour.
• Sanaullah says PSB inquiry report is submitted to PM.

Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani has assumed charge after being appointed as the ad hoc President of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) following the resignation of the sitting President Tariq Bugti.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the PHF, has approved Bugti’s resignation as the President of PHF with immediate effect on Thursday.

The prime minister has also taken notice of the mismanagement at the hockey federation.

Bugti resigned, accusing the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) of mismanagement and failing to release funds in time for travel and logistical expenses linked to the team’s participation in the FIH Pro League.

He alleged that payments for hotel bookings in Australia were not made on time, creating major difficulties for players and officials, and claimed he was told at the PSB that the process could take up to two months.

He appealed to the prime minister and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to form a committee to investigate the matter and determine the facts.

Bugti also announced a two-year ban on Pakistan captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, accusing him of threatening fellow players and running a campaign against the federation’s management, and said the PHF had decided a day earlier to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Butt over misconduct.

Adviser to the prime minister on Inter-Provincial Coordination, Rana Sanaulla,h later said a three-member inquiry committee formed by the PSB had completed its investigation and submitted its report to the prime minister, with sources familiar with the development saying the findings held the PHF accountable.

Butt, meanwhile, made allegations of mismanagement and mental harassment against the team management and the PHF, saying players were subjected to conditions no professional athlete should face.

He said players were made to perform menial tasks during the tour, including cleaning kitchens, washing dishes, laundering their own clothes and scrubbing washrooms before heading to the field for training and matches.

Separately, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the national men’s hockey team players in Lahore and promised to address their grievances over alleged mistreatment during the Pro Hockey League, while pledging support ahead of the World Cup Qualifier in Egypt.

“We will accommodate hockey players in every possible way. We will extend complete cooperation to streamline hockey affairs,” Naqvi said.

He directed officials to make immediate arrangements for air tickets, playing kits and hotel accommodation, ordered that a training camp be set up from Friday with preparations completed by Thursday night, and instructed that injured players be provided immediate medical treatment under PCB supervision.

Naqvi also distributed cheques of Rs1 million each to players after their runner-up finish in a recent national hockey tournament, fulfilling an earlier announcement.

He clarified on X that he had no ambitions to lead the PHF, writing: “I am not becoming Hockey Federation President, but we will assist players till this turmoil ends.”

After taking charge, Wani said there was very little time left for the World Cup qualifying round and that the camp would begin “today or tomorrow”. He said he would meet the players and decide steps to improve hockey, adding that whatever measures he takes now would be on a short-term basis.

Wani also announced the lifting of the ban on captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, and said emergency measures for the promotion and revival of hockey had been initiated. 

He said work was underway to restore confidence and reconstitute the team management, while the coaching and training system would be improved and institutional coordination strengthened.

He urged players to focus only on training and matches, saying the federation would handle administrative matters, and added that all decisions would be made on the basis of transparency and merit.