KARACHI: Sixteen departmental and provincial teams will feature in the 35thU21 National Hockey Championship which begins at the National Hockey Stadium hereon Wednesday (today).
Four matches will be played on the opening day.
The championship is a very important event of the annual calendar of Pakistan Hockey Federation as it helps it spot future talent for the national team.
The championship will also help the PHF select the team for the Junior World Cup 2016.
The teams have been divided into four pools.
Pool A: National Bank of Pakistan, Police, Pakistan Board, Punjab (W).
Pool B:Balochistan, Railways, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (C), WAPDA.
Pool C:Sui Southern Gas Company, Army, Sindh, Islamabad.
Pool D: Punjab (C), Customs, Pakistan Ordnance Factory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W).
The quarter-finals will be played on March 8 and the semi-finals onMarch 10. The final will be played onMarch 12.
An exhibition match between Olympian XI and Lahore Media XI will be played onMarch 9.
Today’s matches:Punjab (C) vs Pakistan Ordnance Factory at 9:30am; Sui Southern Gas Company vs Sindh at11:30am; NBP vs Pakistan Boards at1:30pm, WAPDA vs Railways at3:30pm.
Meanwhile, manager Pakistan White hockey team Shahid Pervaiz Bhandara will address a press conference at the National Hockey Stadiumon Wednesday at3pm. Pervaiz will share his observations of the Indian tour with media. Coaches Olympians Mohammad Saqlain and Rehan Butt will also attend the press conference.
Pakistan won gold medal at the 12thSouth Asian Games, beating India 1-0 in the final.