Lahore: A pay dispute hit Pakistan hockey as some senior players threatened to boycott the men’s FIH Pro League second phase in February, alleging that they have not been given the full daily allowances for matches earlier this month.
At least two members of the national men’s team confirmed that a clear message had been sent to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) that many players would not be available for the FIH Pro League if the financial issues were not sorted out before that. “We were assured we would be paid 30,000 rupees daily allowance for the duration of the Pro League event in Argentina earlier this month. Last week we got the daily allowances in our accounts but at the rate of just 11,000 rupees which is a sham,” one player said.
“If you look at the exchange rates 30,000 means around 110 dollars while 11,000 is just 40 dollars which is a huge difference to us,” he added. Pakistan played four matches in Pro League earlier this month, losing all of them. They will play four matches in February in Australia. The PHF has told the players that the daily allowances for all players and officials were sent to them. agencies