PHF rolls out Schools Hockey League

League offers young players a clear path to the national teams

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced plans for a nationwide Schools Hockey League aimed at developing young players and rebuilding the pathway to the national teams.

The competition will begin on 15 November, with tehsil, district and divisional rounds taking place simultaneously across Pakistan. Provincial competitions are scheduled for January, followed by the national round in February.

The plans were discussed at a consultative meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, chaired by Mohiyuddin Wani, Secretary of the Inter Provincial Coordination Committee and PHF president.

Representatives from school education and sports departments in all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory attended the meeting.

Wani urged participants to treat the league's implementation as a national responsibility, recalling Pakistan's past achievements in hockey and the sport's status as the country's national game.

Ehtasham Anwar, the PHF's focal person for the Schools Hockey League (SHL), outlined the competition's structure and key features.

The league will operate under the PHF, with its own chief executive officer and a steering committee chaired by the federation's president.

Organisers say the competition will provide young players with a pathway towards national-team selection, while offering financial and development opportunities.

Players from the top three teams will receive monthly stipends of Rs10,000, Rs7,500 and Rs5,000 respectively for one year. The winning team and selected players will also be given opportunities to undertake international tours.

School heads and sports teachers who contribute to the league's success will receive special awards in recognition of their efforts.

The programme will also focus on balancing sporting development with education. Each year, 100 boys and 100 girls will be selected for summer camps featuring hockey coaching, fitness training and academic tutoring.

The initiative is intended to strengthen grassroots hockey and encourage wider participation among schoolchildren, including girls.

Representatives of the provincial departments and federal entities pledged their cooperation, promising to coordinate their sporting calendars and activities with the new competition.

The PHF hopes the league will help establish a sustainable talent pathway and increase the pool of players available for Pakistan's national teams.