Customs hockey team to be revived To participate in national championship

KARACHI: Pakistan Customs is planning to establish its hockey team to participate in the next month’s national championship and its preparation is in final stages these days at Customs sports complex.
The department has a vibrant history in domestic hockey and produced a number of renowned Olympians and international players.
The team would be announced shortly before the national championship in Karachi, a high official said.
The director administration of Customs Sports Complex Samsam Qadir Shah briefed newsmen about the progress of Pakistan Customs team whose training camp’s second phase has just concluded.
The third phase would be started next week, he said.
Samsam, an international goalkeeper, said that hectic efforts were being made to establish the team and a talent-hunt scheme had been launched during which Customs’ former hockey stalwarts picked young talented players.
A team including Olympians Farhat Khan and Waseem Feroze, international Muhammad Ali went to Vehari, Sarghoda, Quetta, Shaikhupura, Faisalabad, Gojra and some parts of Sindh to select talented players.
They selected a bunch of players, a blend of youth and experience, to train them under the supervision of Pakistan Customs academy in Karachi.
The official said that 40 players were participating in the training camp. “Of them 14 are from Sindh and the rest from other parts of the country,” he said.
He said that international Muhammad Ali is the camp commandant and chief coach of the team and Zahid Ali is his assistant.
Samsam claimed that Customs high ups were determined to restore the pride of the department in domestic hockey.
He said that chief collector south of Customs Zahid Khokhar, collector preventive Tariq Huda and additional Collector Khalid Jamali were also present on the occasion.
They witnessed the training camp and assured the players and training camp management that all possible facilities would be provided to them.
Samsam said the third phase would be held next week and the team would be announced when the national championship schedule is announced.
He added that those selected would be given contracts and an appropriate stipend would be given to them.
He said two seasoned players, Olympian Haseem Khan and Asim Khan, would be part of the team in the next event.