Pakistan hockey team manager Anjum Saeed was allegedly caught smoking on board a plane while returning home from an overseas tour, after which he was offloaded.
According to local media reports, the Pakistan hockey team was returning home after participating in the Pro Hockey League in Argentina when, during a transit stop in Brazil, Anjum Saeed allegedly smoked on the aircraft. Following the incident, airline staff took action and offloaded the team manager along with one player from the flight.
Reports said that despite repeated requests, airline officials did not allow the two to continue their journey.
Both passengers were eventually removed from the plane, which disrupted the team’s return. Sources said the two were briefly detained by security officials and fined, after which the issue was resolved without any further action.
Meanwhile, Pakistan hockey team manager Anjum Saeed has denied the incident, saying the reports of him being offloaded from the aircraft are incorrect and part of a propaganda campaign against him.
He said that he and one player stayed in Dubai and later returned home safely.
So far, no official statement has been issued by the Pakistan Hockey Federation regarding the matter.
It is worth mentioning that the national team arrived back in Pakistan two days ago, while Anjum Saeed and the player returned separately last night.
