RAWALPINDI: Ten top domestic teams will vie for top honours in the 10-day Chief of Army Staff Hockey Championship, beginning from Thursday (today) at the Army Hockey Stadium here.

“This championship will help us select our national squad for upcoming international events,” said Rana Mujahid, secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

Top domestic teams like PIA, Wapda, Army, Navy, National Bank, Punjab, Higher Education Commission, Sui Southern Gas Company and Punjab are all set to vie in the championship.

Army Staff hockey begins today

“We are waiting for grant from the government for the Azlan Shah Cup to be played in the months of April and May, and Olympic qualifiers to be held in Belgium during June and July.

“If we get the grant, this championship will help us select our national squad,” Mujahid said.

He said members of the selection team will observe matches to add some new faces in the national squad.

Mujahid added that performance of green-shirts remained brilliant in Asian Cup and Champions Trophy but the team was facing acute shortage of funds.

“We have been requesting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is also the patron of the PHF, for the last many months to release funds for us but to no avail,” he said and added that the future of hockey was bleak if funds were not released.

“I request the prime minister to release the required funds to save future of hockey,” he said.

Former national captain Shakeel Abbasi said the event was a good opportunity for youngsters to learn techniques from their senior players.

To a query, he said: “PIA, Wapda, National Bank and Army are the main teams of the tournament and I foresee good competition among them,” he said.

Shakeel will lead the SSGC in the championship.

A few weeks back, PIA defeated Wapda 4-2 on penalty shootouts to lift the National Hockey Championship held in Sialkot.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2015

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