Pakistan hockey has suffered another devastating blow with head coach Siegfried Aikman resigning from his post.
The Dutchman had a contract until 2026 after being appointed to the post in 2021 but has walked away due to constant salary issues. He has reportedly not been paid for almost 12 months, making it impossible for him to continue as Pakistan’s coach.
The reason for his delayed salary is reportedly an issue between Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) which wants an interim setup installed to conduct new elections for PHF to streamline the affairs before the Asian Games, the Olympics Qualifying and the Junior Asia Cup.
A lot of promises were made but they were not fulfilled. I wanted to fulfil my commitment but it’s time for me to move on, Aikman was quoted as saying.
His last assignment with the national side came at the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in South Africa in 2022 where Pakistan finished 7th.
PHF’s General Secretary Haider Hussain expressed disappointment at the 64-year-old’s decision but admitted that his salary was not being paid.
Siegfried Aikman previously served as Japan’s head coach, guiding them to a 2018 Asia Cup Gold medal.
Of all the sports that have seen a decline in Pakistan, hockey is perhaps the greatest example. The four-time World Champions of the sport cannot afford to pay salaries to their coaches despite promises of greener pastures soon.
