LAHORE, July 31: Pakistan women’s hockey team will take part in the Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from December 13-21.

This was stated by Parveen Sikandar Gill, Secretary Women Wing, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) at a news conference here on Thursday.

Parveen said a strong team will be prepared to take part in the event and activity plan will soon be announced for the preparation of the team.

She informed that the AHF Women Hockey Cup, which was scheduled to be held from November 1-9 in Colombo, has been postponed and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has informed about the postponement.

“We were in the process of grooming our national team for the tournament but now we will be focusing on the Junior Asia Cup,” she added.

Announcing the activity programme, Parveen said All Pakistan Fatima Jinnah Memorial women’s hockey tournament will be played from August 17-24 at Quetta and all the four provinces alongwith Islamabad will be taking part in it.

Parveen added that more emphasis was being laid to involve provincial teams in the competitions in order to expand the base of women’s hockey.

She expressed her gratitude to Punjab Sports Department for generating hockey activities at the grassroot level and providing facilities to women wing for the promotion of hockey.

“Efforts are under way to form an U-16 girls hockey team to have timely replacements of senior players. We want to motivate girls to take up hockey seriously and that is why we will be having regular U-16 tournaments every year.”

Parveen disclosed that Pakistan was in the process of establishing bilateral hockey ties with India and Belgium. “A proposal is under consideration about sending our team to Belgium next summer and their teams could visit us in the winters. We are working on similar lines to have regular hockey ties with India to provide our team quality hockey experience and exposure to our young players,” she added.

As per the activity plan, the national championship will be held in October in Sindh before the Quaid-i-Azam Women Gold Cup which is scheduled to be held after Eid in Peshawar.

“Women wing will soon be organising a tournament between the senior and the junior teams also,” she concluded.—APP