Women hockey team trials for National Games on Thursday

PESHAWAR - The trials to select women hockey team for the forthcoming 33rd National Games will be organized here at Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium on September 26.

President KP Hockey Association Syed Zahir Shah told media men that the trials would be organized for the selection of female team on September 26 at 10. 00 a.m while the male trials will be organized on September 24 at 2.00 p.m.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hockey Association President Syed Zahir Shah, accompanied by provincial Secretaries Hidayatullah, coaches Ziaur Rahman Binori and Yasser Islam, said the provincial Hockey Association would form strong teams of both female and male for the forthcoming 33rd National Games.

Former Inspector General of Police and Vice President Pakistan Hockey Federation will be the chairman of the selection committee. Other members of the selection committee included Ayub Khan from merged tribal areas, Azizullah from Sports Board, Hidayatullah, Ziaur Rehman Banori, Yasir Islam, and he himself would look into the performance of the players before short-listing both male and female players for the one-month long camp to be set up at the same venue.

He said work was underway on ground beautification, walk-chalking and repairmen of the sprinkling systems pipes.

Member Provincial Assembly Malik Wajid Khan, Director General Sports Asfandyar Khattak along with Syed Zahir Shah and Muhammad Saeed Khan inspected the overall condition of the ground. Director-General Sports Asfandyar Khattak on this occasion said the ground would be fully equipped with all facilities including electronic scoreboard that have already been set up and in working condition.

Khattak said a significant amount of money was put in the ADP scheme for Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium, which would start functioning after the National Games. The Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium would be floodlight facilities as well besides laying of new turf, blue in colour, soon after the national games.
He said Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium had a prominent venue of hosting more than 70 international matches of world best hockey teams including three times India, three times Holland, Germany, France, Australia, Spain, China, Korea, Kenya, and South Asian countries. “We are doing efforts as desired by the Senior Minister for Sports KP Muhammad Atif Khan to make the ground playable even during the night time,” Khattak added.

He said more than 10,000 players and officials including a good number of female players would be part of the 14 different units including Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan Police, Punjab, Pakistan Railways, Sindh, Pakistan Wapda and host Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

MPA Malik Wajid Khan on this occasion said all venues had been examined on the directives of the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan and Senior Minister Mahmood Khan and hopefully the players would enjoy while playing in 32 different Games to part of 33rd National Games.