Sports: Hockey: Budgetary constraints force PHF to cancel colts’ Argentine tour

Karachi: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has cancelled Pakistan junior hockey team’s upcoming Argentina tour due to budgetary constraints.

“As the PHF has decided to fully concentrate on the senior team, the junior side’s tour to Argentine has been cancelled. It would have been a very costly exercise, especially the air travel to Argentine,” PHF announced on Friday.

“PHF has sent a message of regret to the Argentine Hockey Confederation, who was very keen to host Pakistan juniors,” PHF release added. The tour was scheduled for February.

According to PHF, the year 2018 is very important for Pakistan’s national senior hockey team. Pakistan national team is gearing up to compete in three quadrennial tournaments this year. The tournaments are Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and then the all-important World Cup.

Pakistan has also been included in the Champions Trophy. Pakistan would also be featuring in a Three-Nation tournament in Oman, beginning from February 14.

These two events, Champions Trophy and the Three-Nation, were not part of the original annual calendar of the PHF. So the federation has to make some budgetary adjustments and the junior team’s tour of Argentina has to be called off.