PHF plans Ramadan hockey festival

Night matches

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is planning to organise PHF Ramadan Hockey Festival across the country, involving schools, clubs, district, divisional and provincial associations.

All matches will be organised under floodlights, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Ramadan begins in late May.

“The weather is likely to be very hot in Ramadan. So we thought of organising night hockey,” said PHF’s director development and domestic Naveed Alam.

The festival would be observed in all those areas where hockey interest has been developed. It is up to the provincial hockey association whether they organise matches at club level, school level or both, he said.

He said that in those areas where floodlights facility is not available, rented lights would be installed in hockey fields.

Naveed said that all sporting activities stopped in the country due to Ramadan and hot weather but at night, there would not be weather issue.

Naveed said all matches would be organised after Taraweeh prayers.

He said that proper planning was required to organise the festival. “It is up to the provincial and divisional bodies how they organise the festival,” he said.

Meanwhile, the training camp of national junior team in Karachi at Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey stadium ended and players started leaving for Lahore, form where they will depart for Australia on Thursday night.

Pakistan junior team is participating in Australia’s national junior hockey championship from April 19-29.

The PHF will give a reception to the national junior hockey team on Wednesday (today) in Lahore. PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Khokhar is expected to attend the reception.

The training camp of senior team would start from the mid of April in Lahore.

It is being organised to prepare for the qualifying rounds of World Cup scheduled to be held in London in June.

Before the qualifying rounds, Pakistan team is expected to play test series against England and Ireland.