Pakistan Hockey Federation president Tariq Bugti has resigned following the controversy over the Pakistan national team’s accommodation during its recent tour of Australia for the FIH Pro League.Bugti confirmed on Thursday that he had sent his resignation to PHF’s patron-in-chief, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.“I have sent my resignation letter to the PM but I urge him and Field Marshal Asim Munir to conduct an impartial inquiry into the whole incident which took place in Australia during the FIH Pro League,” Bugti said, as cited by news agency PTI.Field hockey is Pakistan’s national sport, though cricket remains more popular in the country. Pakistan, which has won three Olympic gold medals and four World Cups, is currently ranked 14th in international hockey.The controversy began after a video circulated on social media showing Pakistan players standing on the streets of Sydney with their luggage.Soon after the video went viral, Pakistan captain Shakeel Ammad Butt released another clip saying everything was fine and there were no issues with accommodation.However, after returning home, Butt criticised the PHF at a press conference in Lahore, blaming the federation for mismanagement during the tour. In another video, he said the team had to wander the streets due to lack of accommodation and also had to “wash dishes before playing a match.”He also said nine players had not received daily allowances from the Pakistan Sports Board and PHF for the past year.Players questioned why they faced logistical problems in Australia despite the government providing funds to the PHF for participation in all three phases of the Pro League, whose second phase ended earlier this week.Following Butt’s remarks, Bugti imposed a two-year ban on him, saying the captain had brought disrepute to Pakistan hockey.Bugti’s resignation comes as the PHF and the Pakistan Sports Board blame each other for the episode. Bugti said the PSB handled arrangements for the Australia tour and was responsible for what happened. When asked about a cheque of more than one million rupees sent by the PSB to the PHF for hotel expenses, he did not respond.The team’s head coach has also offered to resign. He said some players were very indisciplined, including Butt, who used abusive language against teammates and affected the team’s performance in the Pro League.Pakistan have lost all eight matches so far and are last among nine teams in the competition. They have also failed to qualify for the last three Olympic Games and finished 12th at their most recent Hockey World Cup appearance in 2018.Pakistan will travel to Egypt in four months to compete in the final qualifying tournament for the next World Cup.
