National Hockey Championship to kick off on Friday

Defending champions NBP among 15 other teams taking part

KARACHI: The 61st National Hockey Championship, organised by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), is all set to commence from Friday until January 10, with a total of 16 teams in action at the Sialkot Hockey Stadium.

The importance of the tournament has increased after the national team won silver medals at the Asian Games and then at the Champions Trophy in 2014.

Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) President Ajmal Khan Lodhi is the organising secretary of the championship, while PHF associate secretary Anjum Saeed will be the tournament director and Danish Kaleem will be his assistant.

The teams featuring in the championship are PIA, NBP, Steel Mills, PQA, HEC, Police, PTV, Army, Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and Islamabad, with NBP defending their title.

There will be no prize money in the championship; the winners will only get a trophy at the closing ceremony.

“We won’t be giving any prize money due to shortage of funds, but winning a national championship and being declared as national champions is in itself a matter of pride for a team,” PHF secretary Rana Mujhaid told The Express Tribune.

On the other hand, some of the Olympians said the PHF should announce handsome prize money for the national championship so that the participating teams play with full strength and commitment.

“Instead of asking the government for funds every time, the PHF should market itself in a positive manner to attract sponsors,” said Samiullah Khan.

He further said that if India, whose performance was no better than Pakistan’s, can gain sponsorship to promote the game, the PHF can do the same.

“The PHF should strike while the iron is hot. Pakistan won two silver medals just recently, so this is the right time to act fast,” concluded Sami.

 

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