Three Pakistani hockey players, physiotherapist slip away in Poland

Olympian and Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary, Rana Mujahid Ali, revealed that three national hockey team players and their physiotherapist, who had traveled to Poland with the team, did not return to Pakistan. Reports indicate that these individuals have applied for political asylum abroad.

The players in question—Abdul Rahman, Ihtesham Aslam, and Murtaza Yaqoob—had been invited to a training camp in preparation for the Asian Champions Trophy.

However, they sent a letter expressing their regret for leaving the camp and departed without obtaining the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) before traveling abroad.

The PHF has imposed a lifetime ban on the three players and the physiotherapist, Waqas, pending approval from the congress.

Meanwhile, PHF President Tariq Bugti disclosed that the national team recently traveled to China “on borrowed tickets,” underscoring the federation’s dire financial situation.

Bugti called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to allocate a special grant to support hockey, stressing, “Hockey is not receiving the status and respect it deserves as our national sport. There is an urgent need to prioritize our national game.”