Islamabad, Sep 19: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has provided Rs23 million to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to support the national team’s expenses for the recently concluded **Asian Champions Trophy** in China. This aid is crucial for covering the federation’s financial obligations and ensuring the team’s competitiveness.
Prior to their departure, the PHF struggled with a severe funding shortage, leading them to secure loans to cover participation costs. The PSB’s recent disbursement fulfills a prior commitment to reimburse these expenses.
Over the past six months, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and the PSB have allocated a total of Rs96.65 million to the PHF for international tournaments.
Despite these financial hurdles, Pakistan’s hockey team performed well at the Asian Champions Trophy, narrowly losing in the semifinals to China in a penalty shootout but securing a bronze medal with a 5-2 victory over Korea in the third-place match. Earlier, they also had a close 1-2 loss against India.