Lack of funds strand Pakistan hockey team on road in Canberra

Pakistan’s national hockey team faced major embarrassment in Australia after players were forced to spend several hours on the road in Canberra due to cancelled hotel bookings, reportedly caused by a lack of funds. The team is touring Australia for the second leg of the FIH Pro League, with matches scheduled in Hobart.

According to sources close to the team, players and officials were initially booked into a four-star hotel in Canberra and were informed that all payments had been cleared by the Pakistan Hockey Federation and the Pakistan Sports Board. However, upon arrival last week, the squad was told that no booking existed as the hotel bill had not been paid. Team head coach Tahir Zaman struggled to contact officials back home due to the time difference, leaving the players without immediate accommodation after a long journey from Lahore.

After spending hours outside the hotel, the management was eventually persuaded to provide rooms, though fewer than originally promised. As a result, two to three players were accommodated in a single room. The following day, the team went directly to the ground to play their opening match against Australia, which they lost 3–2. The incident has added to the challenges faced by the side, which has also struggled against top teams such as Germany in the competition. The episode has drawn attention to ongoing administrative and financial issues within Pakistan hockey. During the first phase of the Pro League in Argentina, players reportedly did not receive daily allowances on time. The team is also without a manager in Canberra after former Olympian Anjum Saeed was removed and not sent on tour. Despite an increase in daily allowances to USD 115 before departure, Pakistan have so far lost all six of their Pro League matches, underlining the growing crisis surrounding the country’s national sport.