LAHORE, Jan 11: The last year runners-up Allied Bank (ABL) take on Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF), while Police meet Pakistan Television (PTV) in the opening matches of the 50th national hockey championship departmental qualifying round on Sunday.

Six matches will be played on the first day at National Hockey Stadium.

Meanwhile, the tournament director Lt Col Zafar Ali Khan has warned the managers to maintain discipline and asked umpires to take decisions on merit.

He advised the managers to make sure that only captain of their teams question from the umpires about any decision during play.

“The players will not be allowed to pressurise the umpires and I will take stern action on that,” he said.

Zafar said umpires had also been instructed to consult the panel of jury before making an important decision. He said he would also check the practice by players wearing shirts with incorrect numbers which had been creating problems for the media and others.

Sunday’s fixture: ABL v POF, I; Police v PTV, II, at 10.30am; Customs v UGC I; HBL v Navy II at 12.30pm; Wapda v PTCL I; PIA v Railways II 2.30pm.