• Khawaja Junaid plans to challenge the PHF’s life ban.
• Junaid claims he resigned when Pakistan fielded 12 players.
• Pakistan was unable to make the super four in the Asia Cup.

Khawaja Junaid, a former Olympian and manager of the Pakistan hockey team, is set to fight the life ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Hockey Federation in court.

Before approaching the court, Junaid is reportedly hammering out the specifics with his attorney.

Junaid claims that he resigned when Pakistan fielded 12 players rather than 11 during a match against Japan during the Asia Cup last year; however, this does not necessarily mean that he was the only one to blame for the error.

“The choice not to prosecute anyone implicated in the error makes this judgement questionable,” he continued.

It should be mentioned that on Tuesday, Junaid was given a life ban by the PHF Inquiry Committee.

Pakistan was unable to make the super four in the Asia Cup, which prevented them from competing in the World Cup.

As a result of one of their goals being disallowed for having 12 players on the pitch during the crucial Asia Cup encounter against Japan, the Green Shirts were defeated.

Mian Ali Ashfaq, a legal advisor for PHF, also spoke openly about the committee’s decision.

“Pakistan suffered a great deal of shame as a result of Khawaja Junaid. Pakistan failed to qualify for the World Cup as a result of his wrongdoing,” Ashfaq stated.

“The decision to ban him was made in accordance with FIH rules,” he added.

He also added that Junaid failed to come before the committee to submit his case.

“The committee had summoned Junaid to appear before it, but he refused,” he explained. “The PHF president has also endorsed the decision to ban him.”

In the meantime, Junaid allegedly notified PHF Secretary Haider Hussain via WhatsApp that “he was not responsible for the catastrophe.”

Hussain clarified that the manager is in charge of fulfilling this duty in accordance with FIH regulations.

Despite Pakistan’s long hockey tradition, which includes numerous Olympic Gold Medals and World Cup victories, the sport’s conditions there have been steadily worse over the past two decades.

Pakistan missed out on the 2023 World Cup as well as the back-to-back Olympic Games in 2016 and 2022. In 2014, they also had to endure the embarrassment of missing a World Cup for the first time ever.

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