Ammad Butt, the captain of the Pakistan hockey team, said on Monday that for the previous six months, the players had not received compensation from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).
The Men in Green, who faced a 3-2 loss to New Zealand in the third- or fourth-place match in the qualifiers in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday, were unable to secure a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In an Instagram post, Ammad thanked followers for their encouragement and emphasised the difficulties players have when they don’t have access to the resources they need to follow their enthusiasm for the game. “Thanks to all of you for supporting Pakistan hockey,” he said. We were sadly unable to qualify for the Olympics, which breaks my heart as well as the hearts of my team and country.
Ammad disclosed that the players had been playing without facilities, government backing, sponsorship, media attention, or a legitimate professional structure for the past six months without receiving anything. He highlighted that these difficulties have existed for the past ten years and raised concerns about how long they will have to put up with these circumstances.
“Hockey is our national game, so please treat us like national heroes,” Ammad said, emphasising that the players give it their all for Pakistan despite the challenges.
Ammad concluded by requesting assistance and expressing the team’s desire to continue doing well for the nation. It is noteworthy that Pakistan has now lost out on Olympic qualification three times in a row, having previously failed to qualify for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
