New synthetic turf at HCP for Hockey-5

KARACHI: The PHF has decided to lay another new synthetic green turf at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) in Karachi besides the existing blue turf to promote Hockey-5, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Informed sources said that Pakistan Navy (PN) has decided in principal to bear all the expenditure of the new synthetic turf.

Sources in the PHF said that Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah played an important role in the new synthetic turf project.  PN wanted to contribute to promotion of the national game and help PHF’s Vision 2020.

At the closing ceremony of the 1st Chief of Naval Staff Hockey Championship at HCP a few months back Admiral Zakaullah had promised to help PHF bring out the national game out of crisis. 

The sources said that on May 23, an important meeting of PN and PHF officials would be held to finalise the committees to look after the project.

The new turf will be laid at an empty place behind the goalpost of the existing blue turf.

The sources said that for organising matches at night separate floodlights arrangements were being considered.

The PHF is very keen to promote Hockey-5, the shortest version of field hockey in which teams of five players each compete on a small turf with a small goalpost in 40 minutes. Players can score goals from any part of the turf. This style of game not only sharpens the skills of the players but also attracts higher number of spectators.

The sources said that approximately the length of the synthetic turf would be 44 metres and width 24 metres.

The PHF is going to organise the first Hockey-5 championship in Lahore from the first week of Ramadan.

Such championships will also be held in other cities during 2016.  The sources said the new turf project is likely to be completed by the end of September.