11 companies show interest in sponsoring national game

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokar has said that at least 11 companies have contacted PHF and showed interest in sponsoring the national game.

The PHF president disclosed this while addressing a press conference here at Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey stadium in Karachi on Friday.

PHF had invited bids for sponsoring the national game for different purposes.

He said that PHF has finalised the plan to establish a hockey excellence school in Lahore for the training of emerging players who will be selected through talent hunt schemes across the country.

He urged all four provincial governments through ministry of IPC to establish hockey academies. He said there were no hockey activities at school and college levels. The academies at provincial level is an alternative to hockey activities at educational institutions, he said.

Khokhar said that Pakistan are to participate in Junior Asia Cup 2020 in January. The team will go to Bangladesh some days before the event to acclimatise with the weather and play some practice matches against local and foreign teams.

He said that before leaving the country the juniors would play a series with the seniors, whose schedule would be finalised after the national championship.

“PHF is interested in laying mini turfs in those cities and towns where game of hockey is regularly played so that our children start their game from synthetic turfs and are used to playing advanced hockey on modern lines,” he said.

He said that hockey-5 world Cup would be organised in two years and Pakistan would have to prepare for that. “The establishment of mini turfs would help us establish our hockey on strong foundations and prepare for hockey-5 international events,” he said.

He said that due to the efforts of PHF present management the 30-year-old issue of lease of Abdul Sattar Edhi hockey stadium has been resolved and Pakistan army has given the lease of hockey stadium for a long period.

He said that Sindh government had done a great job by laying turfs in various cities of the province. “There is need to utilise these facilities and organise regular hockey,” he added.

He hoped that Pakistan senior and junior teams training camp could be organised in these cities of Sindh.

The PHF president further said that the chances are bright for the national women championship to be organised in Sukkur in December.

Khokhar also said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) hockey championship would be organised in March 2021.

The PHF president said bilateral hockey series were unlikely because of the second wave of Covid-19.

He further said that PHF has planned to given central contacts to players to resolve their financial issues.