KARACHI: Six teams will compete for honours in the inaugural Pakistan Cup nine-a-side hockey tournament which gets into action at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium, formerly Hockey Club of Pakistan, on Sunday.

The six teams who have confirmed their participation includes PIA, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Wapda, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Customs and a team to be fielded by the PHF.

The details of the event were announced at a press conference held at the venue on Friday. Secretary of the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) Mohammad Farooq Khan, PHF coordinator Naveed Alam and tournament director Mansoor Ahmed spoke on the occasion.

According to details, the winner of the event will receive Rs2.0 million. Besides, every goal-scorer will get Rs5,000.

Three matches will be played daily under floodlights in the event which is being organised by the PHF in collaboration with the KHA. The event will be held on the single-league basis.

Asked that the people face difficulties in getting access to the stadium, Farooq said the venue suits organisers because it has a hostel for accommodation of players.

“Two new hostels attached to Olympian Islah-Dr Shah Academy and the KHA Stadium are being built that will help to shift the venue in future,” he added.

According to format, each team will consist of 16 players and nine will play. The size of the ground will remain the same and the goalpost will be two feet wide then the original one.

The matches will be played in two halves spread over 20-minute each with five minute interval.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016