Balochistan Chief Minister vows to promote hockey

KARACHI: Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan has vowed that his government would provide all possible support for the promotion of the national game.

Inaugurating the Chief Minister Balochistan Hockey Gold Cup in Quetta, he said that Rs1.5 million would be awarded to the winning team, while runners up would get Rs1 million and the third placed team would get Rs500,000.

It is after 17 years that an all-Pakistan hockey tournament is being organised in Balochistan.

The tournament is being organised by the Balochistan government in collaboration with Pakistan Hockey Federation.

The chief minister said that much attention has been given to cricket. It is now time to pay attention to the promotion of the national game as Pakistan has its greatest achievements in this game.

He further said that in collaboration with PHF the provincial government would organise more domestic tournaments in Balochistan.

The chief minster hoped that his province would produce Olympians in future like Shakeel Abbasi and Zeeshan Ashraf.

A total of 12 teams, including national champions WAPDA, are participating in the event. The final of the event will be played on April 2.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that due to the third wave of Covid, the PHF would again change the preparation and training programme of Pakistan senior and junior teams.

The senior team will not participate in any international toruanment but the junior team is to participate in the Junior Asia Cup 2021 from July 1-10 in Bangladesh.

The second phase of the training camp of Pakistan junior players concluded on March 20.

The boys will take some days rest or partipcate in the Chief Minister Balochistan Gold Cup hockey toruanment.

The source said that if the third wave of Covid persisted in Punjab and other parts f the country, the Abdul Sattar Edhi hockey stadium in Karachi would be the main centre for the training of Pakistan senior and junior teams.