LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Friday announced the first Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) National Inter-Club Hockey Championship 2022 aimed at promoting the game at the grassroots level.

According to a press release, hockey as a national game, having the most decorated history in the sports book of Pakistan, is nowhere close to its former glory. The PHF has taken an initiative for conducting the first national inter-club hockey championship 2022 to revive the hockey culture and uplift the national game.

The championship is scheduled to be held from July 14 to 23 at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore. The event is aimed at promoting the game at the grassroots level i.e club level which will help hunt emerging talent from remote areas of Pakistan.

The championship is divided into four stages -- district, divisional, provincial and national level. The final national round will see 10 teams -- four from Punjab, two from Sindh, two from KP, one team from Balochistan and one team each from Islamabad, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan.

The event started with 72 districts and 718 clubs contesting at the district level all over Pakistan. The district level stage ended on May 25 last with encouraging response from the district administrations. Dormant grounds were activated in many districts.

The division level stage was conducted with full zeal and enthusiasm. As many as 69 clubs of 28 divisions participated.

The provincial level stage will commence on June 25 and continue till July 3. Thirty-one club teams -- nine from Punjab, seven from KP, six from Sindh, six from Balochistan and a team each from Islamabad, GB and AJK will contest to qualify for the national level championship.

With the support of the media and sponsorship of philanthropists, these clubs will make more effort to raise the overall playing standards of hockey. This in turn will help revive the national game and go a long way in restoring confidence of emerging young players.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2022