Federal minister to witness hockey final

KARACHI: A federal minister, either finance minister Ishaq Dar or minster for states and frontier region Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, will be the chief guest at the final of the national championship at HCP on January 10, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Sources said that PHF wanted PM Nawaz Sharif to be the chief guest, but due to his busy schedule, it could not be arranged.

The prize money has not been announced but the sources said PHF has planned to give Rs500,000 to the winners, Rs300,000 to the runners-up and Rs100,000 to the third position holders.

Besides, various prizes, including motorcycles, LEDs and mobile phones will be given to the best player of the championship, the highest scorer and the best goalkeeper.

“To revolutionise the national game we will have to give maximum incentives to the players,” said PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed. “Thus, PHF is trying to arrange maximum number of prizes for those who perform well in the national championship,” he said.

Shahbaz said that PHF had reached its target as regards prize money.

Shahbaz, who recently got the vote of confidence as secretary PHF, further said that PHF was trying hard to organise the semi-finals and the final of the championship under floodlights. “We are using the floodlights at HCP as trial. So far everything has gone smoothly but we have one day to make sure that floodlights are operating. We will take our final decision on Friday night,” he said.

He thanked the Sindh government for its cooperation in organising the national championship.

He added that just one and a half month ago, nobody was in a position to say that the national championship could be organised in Karachi at HCP. “But the PHF’s organising committee and Sindh government’s collaboration made it possible,” he said.