In a surprising twist for Pakistan’s hockey community, the PHF is facing an unexpected dilemma.
At a recent emergency press conference in Lahore, PHF Secretary and Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali announced that three players from the national hockey team, along with their physiotherapist, decided to extend their stay in Poland indefinitely.
They’ve reportedly applied for political asylum abroad.
Ali revealed that Murtaza Yaqoob, Ihtesham Aslam, and Abdul Rahman, who were supposed to be at a training camp for the Asian Champions Trophy, have instead sent an apology letter and are said to have travelled without the required No Objection Certificate (NOC).
As a result, the PHF has imposed a lifetime ban on the players and physiotherapist Waqas, pending congressional approval.
The PHF Secretary also mentioned that a letter would be sent to the Ministry of Interior, likely hoping they can find some way to bring them back.
Before their departure, the players had been gearing up at a Karachi camp for the Azlan Shah Cup—clearly, they took the “taking a break” concept to a whole new level.