PHF plans Olympic Day celebrations

KARACHI: PHF will celebrate the Olympic Day on June 23 as per the directive of FIH and plans to celebrate an entire week by organising matches, seminars, coaching clinics, involving all hockey fraternity, celebrities, and school children, The News has learnt.

PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed said that PHF had received the directive of FIH to celebrate the Olympic Day on June 23.

He said that last year also PHF had also observed the Olympic Day.

He said that PHF had planned various night hockey festivals in those cities where floodlights stadiums are available. He said that PHF would start its week-long celebrations from the middle of June.

PHF’s director planning and development Olympian Naveed Alam said that celebrations would be held in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur in Sindh; Lahore, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Gojra, Khushab, Multan, Vehari, and Bahawalpur in Punjab;

Peshawar, Abbottabad, Buner, and Bannu in KP; and Quetta in Balochistan.

Naveed said that Pakistan senior team would be busy in England in the World Cup qualifying rounds, while the members of the junior team were already participating in Australia’s state leagues. “But all other hockey stalwarts and fraternity will participate in these celebrations,” he added.

He said that seminars on the importance of Olympics for nations would be organised by PHF.

He said that hockey legends and Olympians would play a lead role in the celebrations.

He said that events of schoolboys, women, and special children would be part of the celebrations.