Sindh allocates Rs1.5 billion for hockey stadium

KARACHI: PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar said on Thursday that the Sindh government had allocated Rs1.5 billion for the reconstruction of Abdul Sattar Edhi stadium.

The provincial government would also establish a hockey school of excellence in Karachi, the PHF president said while addressing a press conference along with PHF secretary Asif Bajwa here.

He also said that PHF would give central contracts to 20 players.

According to the details, Rs1.5 billion has been allocated for the project of hockey stadium.

Khokhar said that he had met Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah and discussed all the details related to the rebuilding of the hockey stadium and the school of excellence.

He said that construction and development work would be completed in one year and the remaining work would be done next year.

He said that the hockey stadium would be a new one. All shops, offices and godowns would be razed and newly constructed. He added that shop owners, office holders and others doing their businesses on rent would be given priority in the new shops and offices but on current market status.

A hostel for the players, administration block, and a small club house would also be built.

He said that lease of the hockey stadium was pending since 1993, but PHF has resolved the issue last year and now the lease of the stadium would be continued till 2050.

He said that at the school of excellence under-13 boys would be enrolled from across the province where they would be educated and taught hockey.

Professional coaches would be hired for coaching the boys, he said.

He said that the design and map of the stadium was developed by Pakistan army engineers and COAS Qamar Javaid Bajwa played an important role in this regard.

On the 18th rank of Pakistan in current world ranking, the PHF president said that it was because of not participating in the FIH pro league and then not playing because of Covid-19. But when Pakistan would resume its international matches and tournaments, the team would gradually improve, he said.

“Our team is doing hard work and how we played against Netherland in World Cup qualifying rounds everyone saw it,” he said.