LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has called the players and management of the national team for an urgent consultation, sources confirmed on Wednesday.

The move comes in the wake of serious allegations of mismanagement and emotional harassment leveled by captain Ammad Shakeel Bhatt following the team’s return from the Australian tour.

Captain Ammad Bhatt along with senior players Hannan Shahid and others have been invited to a meeting at the PHF headquarters this evening. Head coach Tahir Zaman, coaches Usman and Zeeshan Ashraf have also been advised to attend.

According to sources within the federation, the meeting, which will be chaired by PHF president Tariq Bukhti, aims to review the complaints filed by the players and discuss the team’s logistical failures before taking any disciplinary or administrative decisions.

The team will travel to Egypt in a week to participate in the FIH World Cup Qualifiers. The PHF is expected to finalize its action within the next 48 hours.

The emergency meeting was held following the bomb allegations made by Captain Ammad Bhatt on arrival at the Lahore airport. Bhatt, who broke his silence on the team’s recent tour, accused the team management and PHF of maladministration and mental harassment.

“All the news coming out of Australia is true,” Bhatt told reporters. “The players were subjected to conditions that any professional athlete would have to endure.”

He described how the players were forced to do menial jobs such as cleaning kitchens, washing dishes, doing their own laundry and scrubbing toilets before going to the stadium for matches and training.

“These are boys who are working hard for the good of their country,” Budd said. “How can they be expected to act internationally after cleaning the toilets and washing the kitchen dishes?” He alleged that the management’s actions had “turned the players into mental patients”.

The skipper further refuted the claims made by former officials, including head coach Tahir Zaman, calling them “baseless and a pack of lies”.

He expressed frustration at what he described as divisive tactics by the federation, saying players were asked to choose sides individually. “The federation asked each player individually if they were with the federation or the captain. The entire team unanimously stood by me,” he asserted.

Bhatt also challenged the federation’s authority to silence the team. “We were told not to talk to the media or face the ban. I did not accept that code of conduct. I was not under any pressure. We know the wrongs done against us.”

Reacting quickly to the captain’s allegations, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Noorish Saba, who was at the airport to welcome the team, confirmed that PSB had made arrangements, which were later undermined by the PHF.

“PSB arranged and paid for hotel bookings in Australia which were later canceled by PHF,” Saba revealed. “The team management lied to us. If basic facilities like food and accommodation are not up to standard, performance will inevitably suffer.”

Assuring that a detailed inquiry report detailing the maladministration would be sent to the Prime Minister, he assured that mistreatment of national athletes would not be tolerated.

During the upcoming meeting, PHF Chairman Tariq Bukhti is expected to ask for detailed accounts regarding the group’s accommodation and logistical arrangements. After consultation with his think tank, he can take action against those responsible for the failure.

The players are expected to be questioned about their recent performances on the field, especially the high goals scored during the tour. The final results of the Federation will be announced in a press conference by President Bhuti and Secretary Rana Mujahid.

Despite the turmoil, captain Ammat Bhatt remained focused on the future, expressing confidence in the team’s potential.

“This team can compete for the World Cup and the Olympics,” he asserted, adding that the appointment of a foreign coach is an urgent need to steer the team back on track and provide the professional environment it needs to succeed on the world stage.

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