Pakistan's hockey community has been plunged into an international controversy following a serious security breach involving a senior team official. Anjum Saeed, a former Olympian and current manager of the national hockey team, was reportedly offloaded from a flight in Brazil for smoking on board while the aircraft was being refuelled.
Security Breach at Rio de Janeiro Airport
The incident occurred at Rio de Janeiro Airport as the Pakistan senior national team was returning from the FIH Pro League in Argentina. According to international aviation safety protocols, smoking on a stationary aircraft, especially during refuelling, is strictly prohibited due to the extreme risk of fire or explosion.
Airline crew discovered Saeed smoking inside the plane during a transit stop. The situation is said to have escalated when Saeed and an unidentified player allegedly argued with security personnel after being confronted. As a direct consequence of this violation, Saeed was barred from re-boarding the connecting flight to Dubai.
Denial and Official Inquiry
Anjum Saeed, a celebrated former defender and midfielder who helped Pakistan win the 1994 World Cup and a 1992 Olympic bronze medal, has denied the allegations. Upon his return to Pakistan, he claimed he had stayed behind in Dubai voluntarily for personal work.
However, sports officials have expressed strong skepticism about his explanation, noting that his absence coincided precisely with the reported security violation in Brazil. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has taken a stern view, stating the incident "does not reflect well on Pakistan sports."
An official confirmed that the PSB has formally requested the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to conduct an independent inquiry. "Apparently the matter was escalated by Anjum and another player when the manager was confronted for smoking on the airplane as it refuelled," the official said, adding they had gathered their own information but wanted to see the PHF's action on this serious matter.
Financial Woes Plague National Players
This controversy marks a bitter end to Pakistan's appearance in the FIH Pro League, where the team struggled on the pitch. The embarrassment is compounded by a severe financial crisis facing the players. According to reports, the PHF owes national players significant amounts of money, including daily allowances for training camps and international tournaments in Bangladesh and the FIH Pro League.
Players are owed lakhs of rupees in back pay. Due to the PHF's financial crisis, they have even stopped paying the monthly retainers (salaries) that some top players used to receive.
"Before we went for the FIH Pro League to Argentina we were assured all our dues would be cleared as the government had given the Hockey Federation enough funds. But even returning from this event our money remains outstanding," a national team player revealed. He emphasized the critical nature of these allowances, stating, "The total amount is in lakhs and we are not cricket players these daily allowance amounts mean a lot for us."
Captain Ammad Shakeel Butt highlighted the difficulty of committing to hockey as a career without financial security. "Without financial security no sportsman can focus completely on his chosen career," Butt said, noting that for many, national team commitments are their primary source of income.
Most athletes continue playing only because they have separate jobs with departmental teams that provide a steady income. As a proposed solution, players are urging hockey authorities to start a professional hockey league, similar to those in other countries, to generate more revenue and provide stability for athletes.
