KARACHI, Jan 23: Handsome incentives in cash and kind will be awarded to players and teams in the 50th PSO national hockey championship which starts at UBL Sports Complex from Jan 26.

Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali will be the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony on Feb 6, while Sindh Chief Minister Ali Muhammad Maher will inaugurate the championship.

Organising Secretary Gulfaraz Ahmad addressing a press conference on Thursday said the winners would be getting Rs75,000 and runners-up will collect Rs25,000 in addition to Rs5000 for the best player of each match.

The tournament director Hanif Khan said a jury would be constituted for picking the best player of the tournament and the best player of each match.

He said draws would be prepared on the basis of rating of the team in the last championship to be participated by 18 teams divided into two pools of four teams and two having five outfits.

PIA, Wapda, NBP, ABL, Customs, Pakistan Army, Customs, PTCL, Pakistan Police, Peshawar, Karachi “A”, Karachi “B”, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi will be participating in the tournament.—APP