In a recent emergency press conference held in Lahore, PHF Secretary and Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali revealed that three players from the national hockey team and their physiotherapist, who had travelled to Poland with the team, did not return to Pakistan. It has been reported that these individuals have applied for political asylum abroad.
Ali stated that the three players—Murtaza Yaqoob, Ihtesham Aslam, and Abdul Rahman—had been invited to a training camp in preparation for the Asian Champions Trophy.
However, they sent a letter apologising for their absence from the camp. It has been reported that they travelled abroad without the required No Objection Certificate (NOC).
In response to this development, the PHF has imposed a lifetime ban on the three players and the physiotherapist, Waqas, pending approval from the congress.
The secretary of the PHF also mentioned that a letter would be sent to the Ministry of Interior for further action on the matter. Prior to their departure, the players had been part of the Karachi camp in preparation for the Azlan Shah Cup.
