Int'l Hockey coaches arriving, Rs 6B SAF games funds sought, Football ban lifted

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jul, 2026) Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani on Thursday revealed that five international coaches would arriving in Pakistan to train national hockey players and local coaches, while Rs 6 billion would required to host the upcoming South Asian Games (SAF Games) in Islamabad and Lahore.

He further announced that Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has lifted its 12-year suspension on Pakistan’s football body, paving the way for the full revival of international matches in the country.

Briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, the Secretary highlighted a historic increase in the sports budget, noting that the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) allocations for sports have been raised from Rs 900 million to Rs 1.9 billion. He also announced a dedicated Rs 500 million grant for sports federations and the launch of a grassroots 'school Sports Program' targeting 750 educational institutions across the country.

Detailing the steps taken to restore hockey to its former glory, Mohyuddin Wani, informed the committee that four international coaches would arrive tomorrow, followed by a fifth coach the next day. These experts would provide modern training to both the national team and local coaches.

Addressing the team's recent performance, the IPC Secretary clarified that out of the 14 Pro League matches lost by Pakistan after a 10-year hiatus from playing top-tier international teams, 10 defeats occurred before he took charge of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

He noted that despite missing the team captain and suffering injuries to two key players, the national side fought hard and lost by very narrow margins. He added that a specialized junior training camp is being set up in Abbottabad, and the PHF elections would be conducted as soon as the guidelines from the International Hockey Federation (IHF) were received.

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Regarding the South Asian Games, the Secretary explained that 60 percent of the Rs six billion expenditure would be borne by the Federal Government, while the remaining 40 percent would be covered by the host province. The separate Rs 500 million grant allocated for various sports federations would strictly be utilized for athletes' training and foreign tours.

Wani further updated the parliamentary panel that the enhanced PSDP funding would ensure the completion of 8 out of 14 ongoing sports infrastructure projects this year, while Rs 5 billion has been allocated for the ministry's current operational budget.

On football, he stated that following successful Pakistan Sports board (PSB) elections, the newly formed body has been formally recognized by FIFA and the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). International football fixtures have already resumed on home soil, with both the boys' and girls' national teams actively competing in global events. The Secretary expressed confidence that the football team’s performance will significantly improve within the year, adding that the national girls' hockey team is also scheduled to tour Oman shortly.

Highlighting state support for local athletes, the IPC Secretary mentioned that the Pakistan Sports Board sponsors comprehensive pre-tournament training camps for 37 different sports. These high-performance camps were completely free of cost for the athletes, covering all expenses for boarding, lodging, and nutrition.

To systematically unearth and nurture fresh talent, the ministry has launched the 'School education Sports Program'. Under this initiative, free sports kits were being distributed to boys and girls across 750 educational institutions nationwide, with the first phase rolling out kits to 50 schools per division to build a robust sports culture from the grassroots level.