KARACHI: The Sindh government has allocated a sum of Rs 1.5 billion to revamp the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium and give it a new look, Pakistan Hockey Federation president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar said during a press conference at the venue here on Thursday.

“The work on the project is likely to commence in the next financial year,” Khokhar, flanked by PHF secretary Asif Bajwa and Olympian Hanif Khan, informed.

Highlighting salient features of the proposed project, he said it will have a players’ hostel, swimming pool, players’ changing room besides school of excellence where promising players will be groomed.

“Players will be selected on merit from across the country and will be kept in school of excellence on the lines of cadet colleges,” he said. “Plans are afoot to offer central contract initially to 20 players in the near future.”

He was confident that the delayed Pakistan Hockey League (PHL) may start by the end of the year. “Things will be given a final shape soon,” he added.

Khokhar expressed his gratitude to army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa for his generous support to extend the lease of Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium and providing help through GHQ in preparation of the design of proposed project.

“Despite Covid-19, PHF kept the ball rolling by organising a number of domestic events in the country under SOP’s,” he added.

Khokhar attributed Pakistan’s failure to participate in the FIH Pro League as the reason for the team’s international ranking going down to 18th. It was 13th when he took over.

“Our target is to qualify for the next Olympics and World Cup,” he said, regretting that closure of teams in many departments.

The PHF chief said he had suggested IPC Minister Dr. Fehmida Mirza to launch format of Hockey 5’s for young players in educational institutions to motivate the players.He appreciated the efforts of director administration of the stadium Mohammad Junaid and coordinator Haider Hussain for speedy recovery of liabilities to the tune of Rs 10m in a short span of time.

TALIB DEMANDS RESTORATION OF TARTAN TRACK

Meanwhile, veteran athlete and trainer Mohammad Talib has demanded of the government and PHF to restore the athletic track around the synthetic turf at the stadium to its original form and lay tartan track on it for the benefit of youth.

“It’s high time to restore the 400m eight-lane standard track when the stadium is being reconstructed by the provincial government,” he told Dawn on Thursday.

Formerly Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) Stadium had played host to two National Games — 1970 and 1976 — and in addition to opening and closing ceremonies the track and field events also took place at the same premises. A few foreign countries have also participated in the two spectacles.

He said unfortunately the track was removed and some portion in front of the main enclosure was cemented.

Talib, who runs Athletic Fitness School (AFS) free of cost at the stadium since 1977, feared that the athletes will suffer during the reconstruction process.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2021