Karachi to be hub of hockey from next week

KARACHI: The city of Karachi will be the hub of national game from next week as the national championship will be held here from July 23 to August 7 at Abuld Sattar stadium and PHF congress meeting will also be held here on July 23 in which more than 120 congress members are expected to participate.

Only one week is left before the national championship, but so far there is no sign of arrangement for the championship. The PHF secretary Olympian Asif Bajwa reached the city on Monday, and PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Khokhar is likely to reach here on Tuesday (today).

Bajwa has to get the vote of confidence from the PHF congress. The members are coming form all parts of the country and it is expected that there will be hot debates in the PHF congress and questions will be raised about the poor state of affairs of the national game. Pakistan are ranked 17th in the world.

Pakistan will have to face tough competitions if they are permitted to play the Olympic qualifying rounds by FIH. Sources said that it is expected that PHF congress members would grill the PHF about appointments of those officials who have delivered nothing.

It remains unclear how PHF will manage to organise the national championship and pay PHF congress members TA/DA. The PHF congress will also discuss why Pakistan failed to participate in FIH Pro League.

Pakistan are to participate in Junior Asia Cup and South Asian Games (SAG) this year. Good performance in these events might inject life in the dying national game in the country as far as the patronage of the federal government and getting sponsorship from the private sector.