MINGORA: A veteran hockey player here wants to promote the national game among the local youth and needs official patronage in this regard.

Mohammad Ameen, 70, attracted a large number of spectators when he played hockey here at a rented ground in Odigram village on Monday.

“I love hockey and it is my dream to contribute in promotion of our national game among the local youth,” he told Dawn on the occasion. He added that he started playing hockey in 1965 when he was 9th class student. “I was an active player of the team of government high school, Balogram Swat,” he maintained.

Mr Ameen said he was in the first year when he traveled to Qatar in search of job in 1972, adding that during his stay in the Gulf country, he played hockey from 1979 to 2006.

He said he played from Qatar Museum Club, where he worked hard to promote hockey among youth. “Arabs love playing football, and hockey has less importance for them,” he added. He said he and his teammates found the Qatari government very cooperative in the game’s promotion. “The Qatari government organised two Pak-India matches in 1984 and then in 2006,” he said.

Having two sons and three daughters, all married off after proper education, Mohammad Ameen said he was playing hockey both to stay fit and to promote the national game among Swati youth.

He said that hockey ground in Odigram village had been acquired at Rs20,000 rent per year. He said that there were so many talented players in the district, who needed proper facilities.

The veteran hockey player said Pakistan and India hockey teams were weakened after they started playing European style hockey, “Keeping in view the changing trend it is necessary to take steps for promotion of hockey in Pakistan,” he added.