National women’s hockey c’ship to be held in Karachi

KARACHI: The national women’s hockey championship will be held in Karachi at Abdul Sattar Edhi stadium after Ramadan, and the third phase of Pakistan junior team’s training camp will also be organised in Karachi, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Informed sources said that the national women’s championship was likely to be organised in Karachi in May- June period. All units of PHF women wing are expected to participate in the championship.

It was also learnt that the third phase of the Pakistan junior team’s training camp would also be held in Karachi, but its schedule would be decided later.

The sources said that only two months are left before the Junior Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from June 1-10.

The sources said that PHF regularly organised domestic events and majority of Pakistan senior and junior team members participated in these competitions. These days the players of both senior and junior strings are representing their departments in Chief Minister Baluchistan Gold Cup.

In Ramadan, another big domestic event will be organised in Gojra in floodlights.

The sources said that due to the third wave of Covid-19, it was not possible to arrange matches for the junior team against any foreign team.

The PHF has decided that after Gojra tournament, seven to nine matches would be organised between Pakistan senior and junior teams so that junior boys learn by playing against the seniors. They have to compete against such strong teams as Japan, India, Korea, Malaysia and China in Junior Aisa Cup.

The sources pointed out that some junior players have already been with the senior team. Therefore, they are not unaccustomed to tough training.

After playing matches against Pakistan seniors, the junior team’s training programme would be completed and it can be expected that they would play outstandingly in the Junior Asia Cup and qualify for the Junior World Cup 2022, an official said.

Pakistan did not play the Junior World Cup 2016 in India because of the Indian government’s machinations.