In a stunning escalation of the crisis plaguing Pakistan hockey, Federation President Tariq Hussain Bugti announced his resignation on Thursday, shortly after slapping a two-year ban on national team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt for publicly criticising the federation’s handling of the recent FIH Pro League tour in Australia.
Bugti submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, blaming the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for mismanaging funds and contributing to the team’s humiliating experiences abroad. Talking to the media, he said that while the PM had allocated PKR 25 crore for hockey in Pakistan, the fund was with the Pakistan Sports Board, and alleged several administrative issues at the board.
He criticised the Pakistan Sports Board for failing to manage finances properly, adding that hotel payments for the team is delayed. “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 when the Pakistan men’s hockey team returned to Lahore on Wednesday from their Australian leg of the FIH Pro League, where they lost all eight matches, including heavy defeats to top teams like Argentina and the Netherlands.
Captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, in a fiery press conference, exposed what he described as “mental harassment” inflicted on the players due to severe logistical failures by the PHF. According to Butt, the team was evicted from their hotel in Hobart because of unpaid bills, forcing players to wander the streets with their luggage for hours before being relocated to a substandard guest house.
There, they were compelled to perform menial tasks such as washing dishes, cleaning toilets, and handling other chores just before matches, which Butt said severely impacted their focus and performance.
“How can we play after cleaning toilets?” Butt lamented. He also alleged lack of proper kits and support during the tour. Butt also revealed that earlier the team management pressured him to downplay the issues, warning that complaints were “reaching India” and could tarnish Pakistan’s image.
However, upon returning home, he decided “enough was enough” and went public, sparking widespread backlash against Pakistan government and its sports administration. In response, Bugti accused Butt of pressuring teammates with messages from influential figures and bringing “disrepute” to Pakistan hockey through his verbal misconduct. Bugti imposed a two-year ban on Butt, barring him from both domestic and international matches.
Adding to the turmoil, the team’s coach has also offered to resign, further deepening the federation’s instability.
