KARACHI: National hockey team's head coach Siegfried Aikman, members of the coaching panel and players will get their salaries by next week, assured newly re-elected Pakistan Hockey Federation's (PHF) President Brig (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar yesterday.

"We know about the hardships that the players and coaching panel faced,” Khokhar said while speaking to journalists after being re-elected as PHF president.  “I am more concerned than you, even though I often paid players from my pocket," he said, adding that the government delayed funds of the federation, During Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022, Pakistan team's head coach lamented about financial issues in the federation and revealed that he didn't even receive his first salary.

"It wasn't from our end; the government delayed our funds. By next week, we will receive funds from the government after which players and coaches will get their salaries for sure," he maintained. Responding to questions regarding his trip to Birmingham despite a shortage of funds, Khokhar clarified he paid for his trip. "I went there on my own expenses. I didn't take a single tour from PHF in my last tenure. I have always spent money from my pocket, there is no doubt about it," he said. Under the supervision of PHF's chief election commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Riaz, Khokhar was re-elected as president. Haider Hussain, who was appointed interim secretary earlier this month, has been elected as PHF's general secretary for the next four years. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 20 2022

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