All set for National Hockey C’ship in Rawalpindi

KARACHI: All is set for the 66th National hockey championship which is scheduled to be held from November 5-20 in Rawalpindi at the newly laid astro turf of Mari Petroleum stadium.

The teams have started arriving in Rawalpindi.

Informed sources in PHF said that all national selection committee members led by chairman Olympian Manzoor Junior would be there during the championship to select talented players. Players who perform well will be considered for Pakistan senior and junior teams’ training camps.

Sources said that the schedule of the championship is expected to be announced by PHF on Tuesday (tomorrow). The PHF has already announced the names of the technical officials of the national hockey championship.

Mari Petroleum is hosting the championship, and it is expected that it would sponsor the national championship, as talks are under way in this regard between PHF and Mari Petroleum.

Mari Petroleum are participating in the national championship for the first time. They qualified from the recently concluded 5th Tray hockey championship, where they were the runners up.

Sources said that national championship would be organised on single league basis and 49 matches would be played. Floodlights have been installed at the stadium and it is expected that some matches would be played under floodlights.

The PHF sources also said that some important matches, including the semi-finals and the final, would be live telecast.

The sources mentioned that all SOPs would be observed during the entire championship to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The PHF sources said that there is no international activity because of the virus which has given an opportunity to PHF to strengthen the domestic hockey and prepare junior and senior teams.