All teams in national championship to stay in hotels: Shahbaz

Prize money yet to be decided, talks with sponsors under way

KARACHI: The PHF president Brig (R) Khalid Khokhar and secretary Shahbaz Ahmed reached Karachi on Thursday for the 62nd National Hockey Championship, which will be played at HCP from Friday (today).

They reviewed the preparation for the championship.

All teams except that of Punjab and umpires and judges have reached the city. The Punjab team will reach the city on Friday morning.

Shahbaz told ‘The News’ that all regional teams would stay in hotels. “This is the first time in the history of national hockey that the participating teams will stay in well-furnished hotels instead of hostel rooms of Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP),” he claimed.

He said that the decision to this effect was taken to improve the standard of the national game. The PHF would bear the expenses of hotel stay, he added.

Shahbaz said that preparation was in full swing and would be completed in time.

He said organising the championship in Karachi would boost the national game.

It was learnt that provincial secretary sports Muhammad Rashid also visited the HCP and reviewed the development work.

The Sindh government, which has arranged a blue turf for the venue, has also installed a 300 KV generator for night matches and a digital screen.

Sources said that an exhibition match between Governor Sindh Eleven and Chief Minister eleven would be played on the first day of the championship. Former Olympians and international players will be part of the two teams.

The prize money of the championship has not yet been decided but PHF officials say there will be a handsome amount on offer as talk with some sponsors is in progress.

The PHF’s congress meeting will be held on Saturday at a hotel.  The PHF has yet to state anything about parking arrangements during the championship.