LAHORE, Nov 19: The inaugural Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup women’s hockey tournament will be played from Dec 24 at the Hockey Club of Pakistan, Karachi, under the supervision of Sindh Women’s Hockey Association.

The ten-day event will be participated by teams from four provinces and Azad Kashmir, said Parveen Sikandar Gill, secretary Women Wing, Pakistan Hockey Federation here Monday.

She said the council of the women wing has decided to organise a number of national level tournament among the provinces to achieve the objective of broadening the base of the game, and tapping fresh talent.

“This tournament will be held after every two years and will supplement our efforts to promote hockey at grass root level”, she said.

Gill said there was dire need to organise regular events at the provincial as well national levels to generate the interest of young women to hockey.

She said the first national inter school women hockey championship will be played in the last week of February next year at Lahore.

“Two teams from each province will appear in the event which will largely help us in scouting talent which will be groomed under a long term planning for forming a national junior side in future’, she maintained.

Giving details of future events to be organised by the women wing, she said the PHF Chairperson Challenge trophy will be held in March/April next year and the competition has been allocated to Punjab Women Hockey Association which floated the idea to start this championship.

“This event too has been restricted to the Provinces and Azad Kashmir”, she said.

The most prestigious event of the women hockey calendar, the National championship will be played in Quetta in September with 21 teams from all over the country, including departments and services, taking part. Railways is the defending champion.—APP