LAHORE: The PIA sports department has refused to release its eight coaches for attending the coaching course, being conducted by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The FIH’s seven-day coaching course continues here at the National Hockey Stadium from December 24 and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has invited 39 coaches for participating this course.

However, the PIA did not release its eight coaches due to which they could not attend the high-level coaching course.

These coaches are: Ayaz Mahmood, Qamar Ibrahim, Ahmed Alam, Kamran Ashraf, Mumtaz Haider, Ghulam Jilani, Rahim Khan and Shahid Ali Khan.

The PHF spokesman said that the PIA was requested for several times but no positive response was received.