KHA announces contracts for talented 24

Good news for two dozen of Karachi's most gifted hockey starlets

KARACHI: Karachi Hockey Association (KHA), for the very first time, on Wednesday announced central contracts for 24 players — 12 each from junior and senior categories — for a period of six months.

As per KHA Secretary Haider Hussain, the contracts handed out are divided into A and B categories.

“Three of the seniors from A category will pocket Rs10,000 on a monthly basis, while nine others placed in B category will get Rs7,000 each,” said Hussain while informing that the contracts will be reviewed and renewed after six months, based on the performance and discipline of the candidates.

“Meanwhile, Junior A category's four players will get Rs5,000 each, whereas the remaining eight in the Junior B category will net Rs3,000 apiece."

Hussain further said that Karachi District Association (KDA), as a hockey department, has provided jobs to 20 players, as a result KHA has moved to rescind the contracts of 13 of them, perhaps to avoid double employment.

Meanwhile, KHA President Dr Junaid Ali Shah explained to The Express Tribune the reason for issuing the aforementioned contracts.

“The players who are passionate about our national sport should have the opportunity to practice and not face any restrictions such as coming to the club every day,” he said.

“Many parents had complained that they were not able to afford the training of their kids, who had talent but not the resources so we have taken this initiative according to the bases of their recent performance.”

Shah also said that the contracts will help the players hone their skills and go a long way in reviving the national sport. “If this goes smoothly, Karachi will once again become the hub of hockey and supply talent for the national team,” he added.