Pakistan PWD to revive hockey team

KARACHI: Pak PWD is trying to revive its role in the domestic hockey arena by re-establishing its team and participating in local competitions, said coach-cum-captain of the team Syed Aly Haider.

He said that Pak PWD is hiring some of those players on contract basis who participated in the training camps of Pakistan senior or junior teams. Pak PWD hockey team was active a decade ago in local competitions but faded out when it stopped hiring new players.

Aly Haider said that Pak PWD had hired Ali Hasan, Sultan Ashraf and Imran Malik who had played for Pakistan at the junior level. Some others would also be employed soon, he added. He said that Pak PWD’s sports officer Syed Fayaz Haider had played an important role in reviving the team.

He said that Pak PWD already had the services of Uzair Ahmed and Mudassar Raheem who had participated in Pakistan senior and junior teams’ training camps. “Now we are trying to hire the services of fresh and budding players as due to PHF policies the game of hockey has been strengthened at domestic level. He said that recently in some Sindh-level competitions, Pak PWD’s team showed its worth by reaching the knockout stages.

Recently a match was organised between National Hockey Club and PWD Hockey Club. The latter won the match 5-4. Aly Haider and Raja Hassan netted two goals each and Uzair Ahmed scored one. Pak PWD is also patronising shooting ball, football, and badminton, he said.