National hockey semi-finals today

Experienced PIA, WAPDA battle it out in first, youthful SSGC and NBP in second

KARACHI: The semi-finals of National Hockey Championship will be played on Tuesday (today) at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore. The first will be played between PIA and WAPDA and the second between SSGC and NBP.

The prize money of the championship remains a secret. Not a single PHF high official is ready to reveal the amount.

A source said that the amount might be small and that was why the PHF was hesitant to announce the details.

another PHF official  confirmed that

Sources said that PHF’s marketing department had not been successful in securing much sponsorship for the national championship.

PHF distributed a handsome amount in prize money at the last national championship which was held in Karachi. At other hockey tournaments also, large amounts were given in prizes.

Some former players said while talking to ‘The News’ that PHF’s failure to secure sponsorships was surprising. “There are hundreds of business entities, multinational companies, commercial banks that are earning billions of rupees. Why can’t they (the PHF) get sponsorship?” a former player said.

It is pertinent to mention here that this year 13 departmental teams appeared in the first phase, ‘Premier League’, of the National Championships.

Meanwhile, the preparations for the semi-finals have been finalised and there are contrasting scenarios. 

The sides in the first semi-final are both very rich in experience. 

WAPDA and PIA include a number of present and past international stars.

WAPDA has as many as three national captains, including Fareed, who skippered Pakistan in their last international outing, Asian Champions Trophy.

Another former captain is Sohail Abbas, the legendary drag flicker, who holds the world record for most international goals (348). The third is midfielder Waseem Ahmed, who has made the most international appearances for Pakistan (410).

Sohail Abbas, now 40, has been played for long periods in all the matches.

PIA, two-time champions, also boast a number of players who have played for Pakistan. A few appeared for Pakistan in 2015.

The teams in the other semi-final are relatively young. 

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) have eight members of Pakistan’s under-21 squad, which had a lot of international exposure in 2016. Till only a couple of weeks before these nationals, the team was in the final phase of preparation for the Junior World Cup; they were cruelly deprived of participation.

NBP coach Tahir Zaman is also the head coach of Pakistan under-21s.

Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) comprises a few seniors and a greater number of age-group internationals, including players from Pakistan’s under-18 squad.  First semi-final: PIA vs WAPDA from 12 noon

Second semi-final: SSGC vs NBP from 2:30pm

The final is scheduled on Wednesday (tomorrow).