US consul general hosts Iftar for female hockey players

Karachi
US Consul General Brian Heath honoured 30 female Access English Language micro-scholarship students at a sports diplomacy Iftar arranged at his residence on Thursday.
Despite the heat, the 30 female hockey players demonstrated their mettle in an exciting sports clinic followed by a hard-fought match. Among those supporting the young athletes were Pakistani hockey celebrities such as Islahuddin, Hasan Sardar, Qamar Ibrahim, Kamran Ashraf and others.
“We are celebrating women’s hockey to promote sports as a tool for enhancing people-to-people ties,” said Heath.
“We want to encourage more children in Karachi to take up hockey and other sports so they may experience the sense of belonging, teamwork and achievement that comes with it,” he added.
“Sports can play a very important role in a young person’s life,” said the US consul general, adding, “We also wanted to recognise the major contribution of volunteers such as coaches and those who work with youth as they serve as important role models and mentors in their communities.”
The Islahuddin Hockey Academy generously provided training expertise for the field hockey clinics.