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Journalism of Courage
The Pakistan national hockey team was left stranded in Canberra, Australia, on February 12 after discovering that no hotel reservations were made in their name. According to PTI, the incident unfolded due to financial constraints within the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the delegation reached the hotel.
“But when they reached Canberra last week, they found no bookings for them at the designated hotel. The team’s head coach, Tahir Zaman, faced problems getting in touch with PSB and PHF officials back home because of the time difference,” the source added.
“Tahir messaged them about the awkward situation the players were facing and had no place to stay and rest after a long journey from Lahore,” he said.
The incident is being widely discussed on social media, prompting a deluge of reactions.
“The real issue isn’t the players, it’s the system behind them,” a user wrote. “That is so shameful and painful too. Hockey brought so much respect for Pak in the past but we didn’t reciprocate it. Our hockey players need and deserve more facilities, more financial support and more respect. We need to revive hockey before it comes to a complete collapse,” another user commented.
“Tragic. Such maestros they were, in my growing up years. Stick wizards,” a third user reacted.
After waiting outside the hotel for several hours, the management was eventually persuaded to allocate rooms to the contingent.
Before departure for Canberra, the Pakistan Sports Board had raised the players’ daily allowances to USD 115 each. “Some local Pakistani people were contacted in Canberra who came to their rescue at the hotel after players spent time on the roads,” PTI added.
