National sport: Hockey stadium to be completed by year end

ISLAMABAD:

The Shahnaz Sheikh Hockey Stadium in Rawalpindi will be ready to host international tournaments by the end of this year when an astrotruf and a pavilion will be constructed.

Talking to APP, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, who is also the national team coach, said the Punjab government has released Rs30 million to lay the artificial turf and construct a pavilion. Sheikh said Rs75 million will be released in total for the project. “Rs30 million have been released while Rs45 million will be released soon for the completion of the project,” he said.

Sheikh said the work to carried out with this grant include an Astroturf, construction of a 5,000 seating capacity pavilion, building for players, dressing rooms, washrooms and other necessities.

Sheikh thanked the provincial government and former MNA Hanif Abbasi for his efforts behind the project. “Tenders will be invited soon after the completion of the building while the remaining amount to lay the Astroturf and install floodlights will be released soon,” he said.

Sheikh said the stadium would help revive the national game among the youth. “Rawalpindi had produced 27 olympians up until 1990 but there are not many new players from the city. I hope this project will promote the sport in Rawalpindi,” he said.

The proposed stadium would become the first-ever hockey stadium in the middle of the city and has all that is needed to host international events once it is completed, he said, adding that “Once the stadium gets built, I believe a lot of hockey lovers would come here to play.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2014.