PHF director development to visit Sindh form August 1

­KARACHI: PHF’s Director Development Naveed Alam would visit Sindh from August 1 to conduct a survey of educational institutions, parks and playgrounds to lay mini astro turfs and establish teams, ‘The News’ has learnt.

He has been directed to do so by PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed.

PHF aims to improve the national game at grassroots level. It intends to provide facilities to talented players. It will lay mini astro turfs in those areas and schools where students and youngsters were interested in hockey but facilities were not available.

PHF also plans to organise an all-Pakistan inter-school tournament.

Naveed will reach Sukkur on August 1 and later visit all Sindh districts. He will conduct the survey in coordination with the district hockey associations.

Talking to ‘The News’, Naveed said that they would be setting up as many as 500 mini-synthetic turfs in the first phase at schools, colleges and districts to strengthen the national game at the grassroots level.

Provincial hockey associations, education department, commissioners and provincial sports officers would be taken into the confidence for the project, he said.

He said the recommendations of local associations, education department and district governments would be considered in the project.

“We want all stakeholders to join hands to promote hockey,” he said.

He said that those schools would be preferred which have sports grounds and have high enrollment and enthusiastic management.

He further said that private schools would also be accommodated in the project.

Naveed said that his visit of Sindh province would continue for two weeks.

He further said that the whole project would be completed in around four years.

Meanwhile, Sindh Women Hockey Association (SWHA) secretary Erum Bukhari announced that they would organise two-day trials to select women team for National Women Championship scheduled to be held in Islamabad from August 5.

She said the trials would be held on July 27-28 at Abdul Sattar Edhi hockey stadium.  She said that after selection, a short training camp would be held at the same venue.  She said players below 30 years of age were eligible to appear in the trials.