Lack of funds: PIA hockey team set to miss National Junior C’ship

KARACHI: In the past, teams from Pakistan International Airline (PIA) used to dominate domestic hockey, while many of its players were part of the national side. But the situation has totally changed now as the PIA junior team is set to miss the upcoming 36th National Junior Hockey Championship due to lack of funds, ‘The News’ has learnt.

The 36th National Junior Hockey Championship will be organised in Lahore this week after a lapse of two years. An informed source told ‘The News’ on Monday that the PIA outfit will miss the championship due to lack of funds, adding that its management is trying to find ways to improve the situation including the proposed revival of PIA Colts.

“The revival of PIA Colts has been proposed and there is now wait for a positive response from the top management,” he said. The 16-man national hockey side that won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics had the services of 11 players from PIA, while 9 of them belonged to PIA Colts, including Shahid Ali Khan, Ayaz Mehmood and Qasim Zia.

The PIA Colts were first introduced by iconic sports administrator late Air Marshal Nur Khan.