Mohsin Naqvi Commends Hockey Team After FIH World Cup Qualification

Pakistan’s interior minister and chairman of the PCB, Mohsin Naqvi, applauded the brilliance of the hockey team for securing a spot in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026. He said the team performed remarkably well in the tournament, which proved they have plenty of talent in their ranks.

"This success is the result of the teamwork and hard work of the players. This win proves that Pakistan has hockey talent." said Mohsin Naqvi in a statement.

Pakistan’s achievement in the ongoing FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers is certainly remarkable because the green shirts have qualified for the mega tournament after a big gap of eight years. They defeated Japan in the semi-final by a scoreline of 4-3, as captain Ammad Butt and other players scored crucial goals to win a nail-biting contest at the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Hockey Stadium in Ismailia.

While praising the recent performances of the Pakistan hockey team in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, the PCB chairman expressed hope that the team would return home after winning the final against England as well. He has full confidence in the capabilities of the players, who have performed well in the tournament under less-than-ideal circumstances.

For the unversed, the Pakistan hockey team made headlines when it faced a serious accommodation crisis upon arriving in Australia to participate in the FIH Pro League recently. The situation became worse when the team captain Ammad Butt publicly slammed the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for mismanagement during the tour.

The matter quickly escalated to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who ordered an inquiry to resolve the issue. The PHF president, Tariq Bugti, eventually stepped down from his position, while captain Ammad Butt was handed a two-year ban by the federation.

However, the arrival of interim president Mohiuddin Wani settled the crisis a bit, as the ban on captain Ammad Butt was subsequently lifted. Afterwards, Mohsin Naqvi met with the players to show his full support, during which he also distributed cheques of Rs1 million each to the team members.