LAHORE, Nov 19: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) academy in Lahore will be launched on Nov 25 after federation decided to re-start the programme stopped seven years ago.

In late 90s, the PHF had set up the academy, but president PHF Gen Aziz Khan stopped the programme in 2000.

The PHF has selected 31 under-16 players for the academy from Punjab and NWFP. They were selected after trials conducted by Olympian Tariq Aziz and Naveed Alam.

The second academy will be established in Karachi where players from Sindh and Quetta will hone their skills,” PHF secretary Khalid Mahmood told Dawn.

“The players for the Karachi’s academy have also been selected and after arranging the accommodation the academy will start functioning soon,” he said, adding that players were selected in Karachi by Tariq and Samiullah.

Khalid, however, did not disclose the budget of the academies, saying the programme would be sponsored by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

In Lahore, the academy is being set up at the Government Model High School, Model Town, which was also the venue in the late 90s. The players have been asked to report to Tariq who have also been appointed director of the academy. Naveed and Khawaja Owais will assist the diretor.

The PHF secretary said PHF would provide boarding, lodging, books, school uniform and playing kit to the trainees. In addition, player would also receive a pocket allowance, he added.

The selected players have been advised to bring attested copy of Nadra B form, certificate from the school principal, verifying the class that he is studying and school leaving certificate.

Trainees:

Goalkeepers: Aqeel Raza (Lahore), Adnan Shakoor (Gojra), Amin Yousuf (Sheikhupura).

Full-backs: Naveed Latif (Sheikhupura), Nasir Ali (Sargodha), M. Zubair (Bannu), M. Waqas (Bannu), Khurrum Basharat (Multan), Sufian (T.T.singh).

Half-backs: Hafiz Saleem (Sheikhupura), Sajjad Jamil (Sargodha), Arshad Baig (DG Khan), Taufiq (Gojra), Usman Aslam (Okara), Qasim (Bahawalpur), M. Shoaib (Sheikhupura), Mohsin Yaqoob (Gujranwala), Atif Ali (T.T.Singh).

Forwards: Adnan Babar (T.T.Singh), Adnan Sohail (Gojra), Jehangir (Narowal), Sohail Mustafa (Gojra), Faisal Rasheed (Shaikhupura), Sheraz Ali (Gojra), Bilal Shabbir (T.T. Singh), Akbar Ali (Gojra), Abdul Karim (Bannu), Abdul Khaliq (Lahore), Sabir (Sargodha), Naghmam Ahmed (Gojra), Gulfam Idrees (Narowal).