LAHORE: Newly-elected Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) president Khawaja Khawer Anwer vowed the provincial body will lift the situation of the game in in its four-year tenure.

Khawer, while speaking during an event organised by the Sports Journalists Association of Lahore on Tuesday, said the PHA will promote hockey on the school and college levels on priority basis.

He said the idea to set up academies in the districts where astroturf was available would also be considered to get the required results. He said Dar Hockey Academy’s was the blueprint is the one PHA wants to follow.

He said the reservations of the different district bodies over the recently-held elections had been removed, including those of Olympian Danish Kaleem.

Khawer said Punjab had great responsibility in producing talent for the national hockey side being the most populated province of the country.

He said in the past the PHA had won the Under-16 and U-18 national championships and it would try to keep that momentum flow.

The PHA officials ensured that merit will be key while selecting players and besides it the PHA would continue to organise special courses for referees and coaches along with every tournament.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2018