LQ hockey development programme launched

KARACHI: PHF secretary Haider Hussain, CEO Lahore Qalandars' Atif Rana, and Sindh sports adviser Arbab Lutfullah formally launched the Qalandars players’ development hockey programme on Wednesday.

In the programme, 22 players will be selected in each city through open trials, the Qalandars’ CEO announced at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium.

While addressing a press conference along with the PHF secretary and Sindh sports adviser, Atif Rana said that the plans for the promotion of hockey were being discussed between him and PHF secretary for past two years.

The players selected under this programme would be trained at a high performance centre and would also be sent abroad.

"The major plan is to implement the same policy as adopted in cricket through which numerous young cricketers were unearthed through trials across Pakistan. They were further groomed and some of them are serving Pakistan today. So, the same kind of model will be adopted in hockey," the Qalandars CEO revealed.

"To promote and uplift hockey, the Lahore Qalnadars will provide all-out support," Atif assured.

Leading fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi would be the brand ambassador of Karachi’s hockey team, while Haris Rauf would the brand ambassador of Lahore.

Atif said that Karachi and Lahore’s old hockey rivalry is being revived but players from across the country can appear in the trials for both teams as there would be no restriction of domicile.

He thanked the provincial sports minister Arbab Lutfullah, who assured Lahore Qalanadar and PHF that the Sindh government would provide all-out support for the success of Qalandar hockey development programme.

Arbab Lutfullah said that Sindh government was doing a wonderful job for the promotion of the national game.

He said that around 10 synthetic turfs have been laid in various hockey stadiums of the province. Besides, Sindh government is also providing financial grants annually to run the affairs of the national game.

Arbab Lutfullah said that Rs400 million has been allocated for the development work at Abdul Sattar Edhi hockey stadium.

Shaheen Afridi said his and his team’s all-out support would be there for the promotion of the national game which was Pakistan’s pride in the world of sports.

The head coach of Lahore Qalandar former fast bowler Aqib Javed also spoke on the occasion.