Champions Challenge Hockey
Pakistan Hockey Federation Secretary Asif Bajwa
KARACHI: Former Olympian and secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Asif Bajwa finds himself under fire after allegedly usurping the chief coach’s role during the Champions Challenge tournament in Argentina where they lost to New Zealand in the final.

Bajwa was seen wearing the earpiece normally reserved for the team coach and shouting instructions to the players from the sidelines during Pakistan’s semi-final clash against India and final against New Zealand.

Bajwa went to Argentina with the team as its administrative manager and his sudden promotion as the de facto coach has raised number of eyebrows in the Pakistan hockey community.

“What was the appointed chief coach of the team Shahid Ali Khan doing? What business did Bajwa have to wear the earpiece and shout instructions from the sidelines to the players throughout the match?” a former Olympian questioned.

“Shahid Ali Khan was so frustrated that he spent most of the time up in the video analyst’s room although he should have been the one on the sidelines with the earpiece guiding his players,” one team source said.

Former Olympian, Waseem Feroze said that every person in the national team should just do his job and only then good results could be obtained.

“Things like this can land the team into trouble with the FIH and the players will also be confused about whose instructions to follow, Bajwa or Shahid,” he said.