News for 12 May 2020
All the news for Tuesday 12 May 2020
EHF confirms new dates for 2021 EuroHockey Championships
The EHF has announced new dates for the 2021 EuroHockey Championships and Championships II to take into account the rescheduled dates for the 2020 Olympic Games.
The top tier competition will now be plated from June 4 to June 13, 2021 at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, the Netherlands with the second tier competitions moving to August 15 to August 21, 2021.
Speaking about the change of dates, EHF President Marijke Fleuren said: “It was clear that as soon as the Olympic dates were rescheduled, we [EHF and the KNHB] would have to look at alternative dates for the EuroHockey Championships.
“It is like putting together a tricky jigsaw puzzle, each piece simply has to fit, or the full picture is not revealed.
“To pre-empt any questions on the early dates, I would add that as the EuroHockey Championships is an FIH World Cup Qualifier, we don’t believe that hosting it post an Olympic Games would be wise or fair to any of our stakeholders, especially our athletes.”
Erik Gerritsen, CEO KNHB, added: “We are fully aware that it is anything but certain that we can organize the EuroHockey Championships in June 2021 under ‘normal’ circumstances. Nobody knows what the situation with regard to the coronavirus will be then.
“All we know is that it is not yet possible to organise large public events in The Netherlands. That is why we are not yet starting ticket sales, but we will be looking at the situation in the coming months and the prospects for public events. ”
Gerritsen continued: “However, it is nice for the participating teams that a date has now been set. And now that the dates of the EuroHockey Championships have been determined, we also know what the international calendar for 2021 looks like, although the matches for the FIH Pro League have yet to be planned.
“In any case, we can now start working on a balanced competition schedule together with the Hoofdklasse clubs in our country.”
The announcement also saw the groups revealed. In the men’s competition, Belgium, England, Spain and Russia will be in Pool A while Pool B features the Netherlands, Germany, France and Wales.
In the women’s competition, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Scotland are in Pool A; Pool B involves Germany, England, Belgium and Italy.
The EuroHockey Championship II will take place, for the men, in Gniezno in Poland and, for the women, in Prague in the Czech Republic.
Both were originally scheduled for August 1 to 7, 2021 but will now take place two weeks later from August 15 to 21.
The dates avoid a clash with the Olympics and give the opportunity for players who play in Tokyo to play in both events, if selected.
Polish Hockey Association President Jacek Sobolewski said: “We are delighted that another international hockey event will take place in the beautiful and historical city of Gniezno.
“I believe that the postponement of the dates will allow everyone to have proper preparation and deliver their best hockey during this tournament. Our staff and local organisers are looking forward to welcoming the teams in Poland!”
Gino Schilders, President of Czech Hockey, added: “Although our players regret the rescheduling of the tournament and the new dates for 2021 will provide a challenge for everybody, we have shaken off our first concerns and started to work hard on the preparations to be successful both on and of the pitch.
“We are happy that the new dates are already known well in advance which gives us the opportunity to plan ahead.”
Fleuren concluded “Now is the time for a positive message that we have been able to secure these revised dates for the Championship and Championship II events and we are delighted to be able to make this announcement today.
“Of course, all of the planning for 2021 is based on the hope that COVID19 will be more under control, that there will be again free and easy travel within Europe. Should that not be the case and WHO and Government restrictions are still in place, then this decision will be revisited with our stakeholders.”
Pools will be confirmed in due course.
Euro Hockey League media release
EuroHockey 2021 dates rejigged ahead of Tokyo Olympics
By The Hockey Paper
ANTWERP – BELFIUS EUROHOCKEY Championship . Belgium v Spain (men) (5-0). Tom Boon (Belgie) with goalkeeper Francisco Cortes (Esp) . Tom Boon scores. right Felix Denayer (Belgie) WSP/ KOEN SUYK
England men have been drawn with world and defending champions Belgium at next year’s EuroHockey Championships in Amsterdam.
The men’s and women’s Euros have been moved to June 4-13 2021 following the decision to postone the Tokyo Olympics until next August.
Wales men, who retained their place in the Euro elite, are pitted in the same group as newcomers France, Germany and hosts Holland.
Meanwhile, England women will look to return to medal-winning ways when they tackle Germany, Belgium and Italy in their pool for a place in the semi-finals.
Erik Gerritsen, Dutch hockey’s chief executive, said: “We are fully aware that it is anything but certain that we can organise the EuroHockey Championships in June 2021 under ‘normal’ circumstances.
“Nobody knows what the situation with regard to the coronavirus will be then. All we know is that it is not yet possible to organize large public events in The Netherlands. That is why we are not yet starting ticket sales, but we will be looking at the situation in the coming months and the prospects for public events. ”
Men Pool A: Belgium, England, Spain, Russia
Men Pool B: Holland, Germany, France, Wales
Women Pool A: Holland, Spain, Ireland, Scotland
Women Pool B: Germany, England, Belgium, Italy
Meanwhile, the EuroHockey Championship II will take place in Poland (men) and Prague (women) from Aug 15-21.
The dates will affect some athletes representing their nations at the Tokyo Olympics, which finish on Aug 8.
Scotland’s Alan Forsyth wrote on social media: “So what your saying is if I’m lucky enough to be selected to play in the Olympics for GB (8 games in 13 days) I then get 1 week of rest before having to play again for Scotland in a Europeans 5 games in 7 days?”
The Hockey Paper
Ireland women draw Netherlands, Spain and Scotland in pool for 2021 Euros
Ireland women secured qualification for the Tokyo Olympics last year
Ireland have been drawn with world number one Netherlands, Spain and Scotland in the pool stages of the 2021 Women's EuroHockey Championships.
The tournament is now taking place from 4-13 June 2021 at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam.
It was due to have been played in August 2021 but the postponement of the Olympics Games in Tokyo to July next year has forced the change.
England will face Germany, Belgium and Italy in the other women's group.
Now taking place before the Olympics, EuroHockey will provide a warm-up for five of the countries involved who will also be competing in Tokyo.
The winners will also clinch a place in the 2022 World Cup as continental champions.
Ireland's men were relegated from the top tier of EuroHockey after finishing last in 2019. They will take part in Division 2 in Gniezno, Poland, from 15-21 August 2021.
Ireland's women finished fifth in 2019 in Antwerp, equalling their best ever finish in the European Championships as they narrowly missed out on the semi-finals.
The last time they faced Spain in international competition was the 2018 World Cup semi-final in London when they famously beat the Spanish in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw to make the World Cup final, where they lost 6-0 to the Dutch.
"We are fully aware that it is anything but certain that we can organise the EuroHockey Championships in June 2021 under 'normal' circumstances," said Erik Gerritsen, CEO of the Dutch Hockey Board.
"Nobody knows what the situation with regards to the coronavirus will be then. All we know is that it is not yet possible to organise large public events in the Netherlands.
"That is why we are not yet starting ticket sales, but we will be looking at the situation in the coming months and the prospects for public events. "
BBC Sport
Return to Play Framework being readied for hockey resumption
Hockey around Australia is nearing a return to play following announcements by Federal and State Governments over recent days, paving the way for the resumption of training and community sport in the near future.
With COVID-19 restrictions beginning to ease, Hockey Australia (HA) and its Member Associations have been preparing a Return to Play Framework to support clubs, associations and players nationally.
This framework, being developed in partnership with Sport Australia, will provide guidance, checklists, and template documents to help navigate how to operate in a COVID-safe environment.
Importantly, the framework will help simplify the variety of government guidelines in place, including the AIS framework for rebooting Australian sport, Roadmap to a COVID-safe Australia and state government advice.
“We are all excited about getting back on the pitch, but we are also mindful of the complex and, at times, overwhelming amount of requirements facing our volunteers to help deliver COVID-safe hockey,” said HA General Manager – Legal, Strategy & Growth, Michael Johnston.
“Member Associations are already getting ready and supporting their clubs around the resumption of play, and we know there are many questions about how to do this safely and in line with government requirements.
“The work underway will provide timely support to club and association administrators, who are the lifeblood of community hockey.”
The framework will be launched in the coming week and continually updated to reflect the most up to date information and government advice.
In the meantime, Hockey Australia encourages all volunteers to continue seeking guidance through their respective Member Association, follow government guidelines, and promote the downloading of the COVID-safe App.
Hockey Australia media release
Family and friends play big part in Georgina’s success
Georgina Oliva was always destined to be a hockey player. Her father and brother both represented Spain and the whole family spent their weekends at the hockey club. Oliva made her international debut in 2006 at the 2006 Women’s World Cup in Madrid. With 235 international caps to her name, she has been a stalwart for the Red Sticks ever since.
There is also every sign that Oliva is getting even better with age and experience. She has been an inspirational captain since 2018, when she led Spain to a bronze medal at the 2018 Vitality Hockey World Cup. At the FIH Series Finals in Valencia, she was voted Player of the Tournament as Spain sealed qualification for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020; and then at the 2019 Belfius EuroHockey Championships she was voted Player of the Tournament as Spain took a bronze medal at the expense of England.
In this continuation of our series of profile interviews featuring some of the world’s finest players, the Spanish superstar speaks to FIH about her career to date, her personal highlights, how her 14 years of international experience has made her a slower but wiser player and how the Spanish squad is staying competitive throughout the Covid-19 lockdown.
Who or what first influenced you to pick up a stick and play hockey?
Georgina Oliva: It was definitely my father. My father (Jordi) played for Spain for many years and when I was four, five and six my older brother (Roc) and older sister were already playing, so I don’t think I chose it. I don’t regret it, it is one of my passions.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
Georgina Oliva: The biggest influence in my hockey career has been my family. Even though they haven’t been at every match and every tournament they always support me – especially my parents. It [the hockey club] is a really good environment in which to grow up so I have to thank them.
If there was one sentence to sum up your playing style or attitude on the pitch, what would it be?
Georgina Oliva: I would say: “Keep it simple”. And in defence be aggressive. “Keep it simple” because the ball has to keep moving, so if you have a pass, then make it; if not, then go into space and make another option. And in defence, like I said, “be aggressive”.
What moment on the pitch are you most proud of and why?
Georgina Oliva: I would say when we have achieved all the goals we have trained for and when we have achieved all the processes we talked about before the match, then you really feel happy and proud of your team.
It has been four years since Rio 2016, how have you changed as a player in that time?
Georgina Oliva: I am pretty sure that because I am older now, I run slower. So I run less metres during a match than before. So I know when I can go and when I can’t. I have a better range of passing options now so I can choose the option that can cause more pain to the other team. Finally, I think I play are vertical (in an upright position) than before. But apart from that, I don’t think I have changed much.
The Covid-19 situation has obviously impinged on everyone's preparations but what are some examples of activities that you and the squad have used to keep a sense of 'team' throughout the lock-down period?
Georgina Oliva: Throughout the lockdown period, since day one, we started to have a lot of activities, to help us keep in touch with each other. One of the funniest activities is called the Taskmaster and we have a task or challenge every two or three days. Everyone gets points and everyone tries to be on the top. It is competitive but we have a laugh with it. We have activities like imitate a famous painting, we have to initiate Olympic sports and we also share our meals online. I think our nutritionist is really happy because we are doing a great job. We also do some workouts, some are really heavy but in others we dance the salsa. That side of things is really nice.
What part of returning to playing after this enforced break are you most looking forward to?
Georgina Oliva: The first thing is the competition, I am looking forward to playing a match. Then I am looking forward to seeing my team mates - both the national team and from the club. We spend a lot of hours together and we have known each other for a long time. We always talk about things and help each other. I have a lot of friends and I am missing those times when we are training and preparing for competitions. And the harder we train, the funnier it is, so I miss those moment.
Profile*: Georgina Oliva - Spain
Nickname: Gigi
Position: Midfielder
Shirt number: 23
Age: 29
International appearances: 235
Place of birth: Terrassa, Spain
Current National Hockey League team: Atletic Terrassa
*Information correct as of 11 May 2020
FIH site
Tokyo Olympics: GB's Brendan Creed keen to make most of postponement
By Sara Orchard
Creed has won 74 caps for England and Great Britain since making his debut in 2017
Great Britain defender Creed says he "lost a lot of motivation" after the Olympic Games were postponed but is now determined to make the most of the extra 12 months.
Creed, 27, suffered a serious knee injury last year and would have faced a tight turnaround to secure his selection in the Toyko 2020 squad.
"I guess it's kind of a blessing for me as it gives me a full year," he told BBC Sport. "I think I would have had six games before Tokyo selection, which was a pretty crazy time frame."
Creed ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing for Surbiton in October.
"I kind of lost my way a bit over the past few weeks," he said.
"But I'm now getting back into it and the postponement gives me a full season to attack everything."
The Olympics have been delayed until July 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, although there is the possibility they might "be scrapped" if there are still significant health and safety concerns.
"You have to be realistic that it could happen," said Creed, who has never competed at the Olympics. "But at the same time it's still on, so you have to treat it as it's still on."
Several Great Britain players had agreed contracts to play abroad after the 2020 Games - scheduled from 24 July to 9 August - with Creed signing for one of Belgium's top sides, Beerschot.
However, with international teams looking to rearrange their seasons to build towards the rescheduled Games, his contract has now been cancelled.
Pro League matches in May and June have been postponed and the tournament extended into next year.
Revising the calendar will be more problematic for Great Britain Hockey, which normally splits into England, Wales and Scotland after an Olympic Games to play in the European Hockey Championships, Commonwealth Games and World Cup.
Nick Pink, chief operating officer of GB and England Hockey, said: "I suspect we'll want to be GB as much as we possibly can next year because that's going to give us the best preparation for the Olympic Games.
"But I don't want to jump too hard into that because I'm respecting where the different bodies and organisations are within that scheduling period."
BBC Sport
My Recruiting Journey
By Nicole Woods, U.S. Women's National Team Athlete
I hope by reading this, any young athlete whether in high school or middle school can read this and realize how exciting the recruiting process is, but how important it is to take your time and be sure that you pick the right school for you.
Looking back on my college career, I can't help but think of how lucky I was to find the absolute best school for me. What makes the story so great, is how exactly I ended up at the University of Louisville because it is probably unlike every other athlete's story out there.
For starters, I didn't always know I wanted to go there, because I honestly didn't know that I wanted to play field hockey past high school until my junior year. Like mentioned before in many many posts and interviews, I thought I was going to be an ice hockey player and my goal was to play college hockey. During the summer going into my junior year, I played in the Bay State Games on the metro/north team and many of my teammates were talking about the National Hockey Festival team they were trying out for. I was playing in Bay States with two of my high school teammates and we were kind of in awe of those players and thought their club teams sounded so cool and so advanced. The tournament was winding down and one of the mothers mentioned to my mom that their club team was looking for a couple additional players to try out and we figured, sure why not. So, we got in touch with Chelsey Feole, the North East Elite (NEE) club director, but it turned out that I couldn't make it to the tryout because my high school team was attending an overnight camp at Bentley University.
Well, Chelsey, being the legend she is, drove to the Bentley camp during one of the nights we were playing games, watched me play and let that serve as my tryout. She invited me to NEE's summer camp to watch me play a bit more and so I could get to know some of the players.
A few weeks later Chelsey e-mailed out the roster for Festival and I didn't see my name. Bummer. I thought, well okay I've never played club before so I'm probably just not ready to play at a more-elite level yet. My mom sent Chelsey an e-mail thanking her anyway and to see if there were any more upcoming clinics or trainings I could be a part of to get better.
It turns out that Chelsey thought my name was SARAH and I did make the Festival team, but when I looked at the emailed roster I figured Sarah Woods was just another player with the same last name. I was pumped, I actually made the team in Florida and couldn't wait to go.
After the first game at Festival, Chelsey and our other coach Erin came up to me and asked me what colleges I had reached out to so they could watch me play. I didn't know I should have done that. Given the fact that I was a junior, about to go into my spring semester I was beyond late in the recruiting game and most kids are committing to colleges already. Well, Chelsey and Erin worked some serious magic and got a couple schools just to give me a look.
My goal was to stay within two hours of my house in Beverly, Mass. because I wanted my parents to be able to come to my games, and I wanted to be close enough to home yet also far enough away. So in my realm of schools I hoped to reach out to was Boston University, Boston College, University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Providence College. I went on tours at UNH and Providence, and attended the junior day at BC and UMass. All of the schools had great programs, beautiful New England campuses and offered the program I wanted to study. Since I was super late to the recruiting game, and all of these tours were then happening in the spring time of my junior year, there really weren't a lot of opportunities left for scholarships or roster spots - most schools were done recruiting their 2014 graduating class.
Then, on a random day I got a message from the University of Louisville. I went online and started finding out more about the school and program. When I saw their facility and stadium I nearly passed out I could not believe that a field hockey team would have a stadium like that and they didn't have to share with any other team. I replied to Kirsten, their assistant, and arranged a phone call with them a few days later. They mentioned they had seen me play at Festival and they were inviting me out to their 7v7 play-day so they could watch me play again in-person.
(The real story is that they mistakenly watched the wrong kid at Festival and weren't really interested. Then, for some amazing reason, they looked back at the film from my Festival games and realized they didn't actually watch me. When I played for Justine later on, she always mentioned 'The Hockey Gods'. Well I can certainly thank the hockey gods for getting them to check the video!)
So, my mom booked us a flight and we flew out during the last week of March. (March Madness was going on and Louisville became the 2013 National Champions - what an awesome time to visit). I was a little beside myself that I was flying to Kentucky and all I could imagine was the school in the middle of farmland so I really wasn't sure what to expect. We landed and drove to the field and coaches offices for a meeting and a campus tour. I was relieved, the campus was on the outskirts of downtown Louisville and there were no farms in sight. Next, I was meeting with Justine the head coach.
She asked some pretty thought-provoking questions like "if you play for me what do you hope I say about you during your senior banquet?" and "what do you think your strengths and weaknesses were?" well, lucky for me Chelsey told me my go-to move the 'Y-Dodge' was a definite weakness and I needed to find a new move. So, I told Justine that my ability to see the field and find passing lanes was one of my strengths, and my weakness was to trust my skill more and stay strong on the ball rather than use the Y-Dodge. After about a 45-ish minute meeting, she turned to me and said "I like you from this meeting, and if I like you on the field tomorrow I will offer you a spot on our team." They were just about finished with their recruiting class for my year so again like most schools, there wouldn't be a scholarship offer, but the chance to have a roster spot was enough for me.
At the end of the play day, I felt like I had played pretty well. It was a lot of playing and everyone on my team 'was a forward' so I was stuck having to play defense. Every. Single. Game. I was kind of annoyed but I sucked it up and managed to still showcase what I could do. Justine called me over at the end of the day, and very calmly said "I can see that you do like that Y-Dodge." I wasn't sure if I should laugh or if that was going to be the reason why they didn't want to recruit me. I don't remember exactly what she said next but it ended with "so we are going to offer you a spot on our team". I was freaking out but had to keep calm. Since there was no scholarship available, she said they could offer me a scholarship on my textbooks. You would have thought I had just been offered a full-boat scholarship by how much my mom and I celebrated. I was going to be essentially one step up from a walk-on but I didn't care, I was going to play Division I in the Atlantic Coast Conference at Louisville!
I didn't commit on the spot but I went home, talked it over with my parents but it was a no-brainer, I was going to be a Cardinal! I picked up the phone after school the next week, called Justine and verbally committed. It was April of my junior year, so late but not too late.
I worked my way up during my time at Louisville and earned that scholarship. I think a lot of kids now get stressed out when others start to commit to schools and rush into it. Recruiting has become a race and I can't help but think that if I were in high school now, my path would have truly been too late and I never would have found the right school for me. I hope high school players, and even younger athletes, can read my recruiting story and realize that you don't have to be offered a full-scholarship, nor do you have to be offered a spot by junior year of high school. It is so important to find the school that is right for you, with a major you would like to study.
Content Courtesy of Woods Field Hockey
USFHA media release
Short high-intensity drills key to maintaining fitness during lockdown: Arkell
The members of the Indian men’s hockey team have been confined to their rooms at the SAI South Centre here since the lockdown started on March 25. (File photo) - Hockey India
Short but high-intensity drills have been instrumental in keeping the Indian men’s hockey players fit during the ongoing coronavirus-forced national lockdown, said the team’s scientific advisor Robin Arkell.
The members of the Indian men’s hockey team have been confined to their rooms at the SAI South Centre here since the lockdown started on March 25.
And Arkell has been by their side constantly during this entire period, guiding them on self training drills to keep their body fit in the absence of on-field activities.
“I have tried to keep the fitness schedules short as far as duration is concerned, but I have ensured that the players are carrying out high-intensity exercises,” the South African trainer said during a live workout session on Instagram alongside Indian team’s second goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak.
“At the moment, the fitness schedule is a bit relaxed since the players are not playing matches. I think it’s important to keep hydrated and maintain a balanced diet throughout the day as well,” Arkell said.
Pathak, who completed all the exercises swiftly, said he enjoyed the ‘short and sweet’ training session.
“It was fantastic to do our fitness drills on an Instagram live. I hope the fans enjoyed it and will be motivated to do some of our exercises. Robin devised a short and sweet workout plan for today,” he said.
“There were some high-intensity exercises and I am glad I could help Robin explain how and why we do certain workout drills.”
Sportstar
PHF eyes Hockey Super League, five-a-side events as ‘game changer’
Muhammad Asif Khan
KARACHI: The secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwa is of the opinion that the game of hockey is changing rapidly and Pakistan needs to mend ways as well to somewhat catch up with the rest of the world.
Talking to this correspondent, Bajwa emphasised upon the introduction of five-a-side hockey in Pakistan which he feels is the order of the day.
“We will revive our domestic structure first and the priority is to introduce a shorter format of the game in the country. It was the long standing dream to kick start the five-a-side format which is of course very different from the conventional style but it’s the need of hour,” Bajwa stressed.
The former Olympian, who is having his second stint as secretary of the PHF, further said that indoor and five-a-side hockey are getting popular in the world and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has already announced to hold the inaugural Hockey5 World Cup in 2023. Therefore, the PHF is also looking forward to adopting the same.
He said a nation-wide tournament of five-a-side hockey amongst provincial and departmental teams will be staged soon.
“For the Hockey5 World Cup in 2023, we have to start preparation from now. I think the FIH will introduce age-limit for the mega event and if this happens, we will follow the guidelines.
“We will bring coaches with know how of the modern game. This championship will yield long term benefits for the game in Pakistan,” Bajwa hoped.
Going forward, he said, the format will be introduced in schools, colleges and universities. “I have had an initial discussion with PHF president Khalid Sajjad Khokhar in this regard,” Bajwa informed.
In this format each team comprises five players, including a goalkeeper, on the field. The field of play is 55 metres long and 41.7 metres wide — approximately half the size of a regular field-hockey pitch.
The secretary of the PHF shared details of another “landmark” project — Hockey Super League — which, Bajwa believes, will bring revolution in country’s hockey, both technically and financially.
“We are also on the verge of introducing a franchised based hockey league in Pakistan. The PHF has reached a three-year deal with investors and the venture would be announced soon after getting the nod from legal advisers. The good thing is that President Arif Alvi is in the loop as well,” Bajwa said.
He added that the the city-based franchises would be determined through auction and five highest bids would acquire teams having foreign and junior players’ representation.
“I guarantee that if the model meets success, then Pakistan hockey will be on its feet and will blossom. Not just the league but the development, infrastructure and other essential aspects will also be taken care of,” Bajwa remarked.
“The initial plan is to have five teams based on names of cities to have home-and-away contests. Later on, the league would be stretched to twelve teams. I am confident that there would be a healthy rivalry between cricket and hockey in the country,” Bajwa said.
On the state of the grassroots level, the PHF secretary said he established about a dozen academies in his past tenure, (2008-2013) but his successors — Rana Mujahid Ali and Shahbaz Ahmed — failed to carry the legacy forward. “I made it clear to both Rana Mujahid and Shahbaz Ahmed that keeping academies up and running is the only way forward. They didn’t pay heed and supply line hampered as a result,” Bajwa claimed.
Bajwa said he has already written to the federal minister for Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza and the director general of the Pakistan Sports Board for the replacement of astroturf at five venues.
“I have formally approached the IPC minister and DG PSB with a request to resume the project to replace astroturfs at stadiums in Islamabad, Abbottabad, Wah Cantt, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur,” Bajwa said.
The secretary of the PHF reiterated that their aim to better the standard of the game in the country and their doors are open for former greats for their valuable suggestions.
To a question, Bajwa replied that the PHF has not received any government grant in the past few years therefore the federation had to look at other avenues for fund raising. “The financial transactions are duly audited. Yes, the PHF has its share of liabilities as well,” Bajwa concluded.
Dawn