KUALA LUMPUR – The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will allow its players to play in other leagues around the world as their domestic competition is still hanging in the balance due to the country’s political situation.
The governing body’s response comes after Scoop reported that Matadors Hockey Club, which will be making its debut in this year’s Malaysian Hockey League, will feature a total of eight Pakistani players.
Among the Pakistani players playing for Matadors are Abdul Hannan Shahid, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Zikriya Hayat, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Usama Bashir, Abdul Mannan, and Rana Muhammad Waleed Ashraf, all of whom have represented Pakistan at the Junior World Cup or senior team level.
Speaking to Scoop from Islamabad, PHF President Tariq Masoori Bugti said the governing body believes that playing in the MHL will provide valuable experience for the players, which will ultimately benefit the Pakistan national team.
“The MHL is a very well-known league, and we have always looked up to the competition. We admire the way it is being administered. This is also a perfect opportunity for our players to learn from the best in the league.
“The need for competitive matches is pressing due to the delay and postponement of our league, and we believe it is our duty to provide the best for our players.
“More than that, I really appreciate the way Matadors approached us. We were impressed with the goals, vision, and planning of their team, so we thought that we could support their vision by sending some of our best players to play for them.
At the same time, Tariq said that the PHF is currently working on plans to re-establish the Pakistan Hockey Super League (PHSL) by mid-year, in collaboration with some private sectors in the country.
For the record, the sports body, led by opposition politician Tariq from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), founded by the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, received only 25 million Rupees (RM 430,822) from the government last year.
Before the change in government leadership in 2022, the PHF received between Rs100 million and Rs300 million annually from the government for its operations, which included the Pakistan Hockey Super League (PHSL), where it used to have six competing teams, such as Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators.
“We can’t keep delaying the league, as it has been nearly two years now. We need to start catching up with the ongoing leagues abroad. We are no longer going to rely on the government and have decided to find our own funding to rejuvenate the league.
“Inshallah, I have full trust in my committee, and I believe we will be able to bring the league back by mid-year and expand the number of teams to 10,” Tariq added.
Aside from Matadors, the 2025 MHL will also feature the debut of the Darwin-based Northern Territory Stingers. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces will return to the women’s competition after a 10-year hiatus.
The confirmed teams for the men’s competition include Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), defending champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT), Maybank, Nurinsafi Sporting, UiTM HA-KPT, Armed Forces, TNB Thunderbolts, Liaoning HT (China), and NT Stingers.
In the women’s competition, the participating teams are Malaysian University, Blue Warriors, Negeri Sembilan, Qnet Phoenix, Mutiara-MSSPP-PSHA-PKS-Uniten, Armed Forces, and NT Stingers.
Established in 1987, the MHL remains Malaysia’s premier field hockey league. – January 2, 2025