Pakistan Hockey Controversy — PHF chief resigns, coach also offers to step down

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Tariq Bugti has resigned in the aftermath of the hotel-payment fiasco that marred the national team’s troubled tour of Australia earlier this month.

Bugti confirmed on Thursday that he had submitted his resignation to the PHF patron-in-chief, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“I have sent my resignation letter to the PM, but I urge him and Field Marshal Asim Munir to conduct an impartial inquiry into the whole incident which took place in Australia during the FIH Pro League,” Bugti said.

The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on social media showing Pakistani players standing on a Sydney street with their luggage.

Soon after it went viral, Pakistan captain Shakeel Ammad Butt released another clip insisting everything was fine and there were no issues with the team’s stay. But days later, after returning home, Butt struck a sharply different tone at a press conference in Lahore, blaming the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for mismanagement during what he called a chaotic tour.

In another video, Butt claimed the players not only had to wander the streets due to a lack of accommodation, but were also forced to “wash dishes before playing a match.”

He also alleged that nine players had not received their daily allowances from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and PHF for the past year.

The players questioned why the government had released funds to the PHF for Pakistan’s participation in all three phases of the FIH Pro League, yet the team still suffered logistical failures in Australia, where the second phase concluded earlier this week.

Butt’s criticism, however, came at a cost. PHF president Bugti imposed a two-year ban on the skipper, accusing him of bringing disrepute to Pakistan hockey.

Bugti’s resignation comes amid a widening fallout, with the PHF and the state-run PSB trading blame for the fiasco. Bugti said the PSB handled all arrangements for the Australia tour and was responsible for the disaster. But when asked about a cheque of more than one million rupees that the PSB allegedly sent to the PHF to cover hotel expenses, he declined to respond.

Pakistan’s head coach has also offered to resign, though he blamed the team’s poor showing partly on indiscipline. He said some players, including Butt, used abusive language towards teammates, affecting performance in the Pro League.

Pakistan has lost all eight matches so far and sits last in the nine-team competition.

The team will travel to Egypt in four months for the final World Cup qualifying tournament.

Published on Feb 19, 2026