LAHORE, Jan 13: The Punjab Sports Department (PSD) has formed an inquiry committee to probe into repair work on the Astroturf at the National Hockey Stadium, after which the field was found to be rather unfit for holding international matches.

Secretary PSD Rao Iftikhar will head the inquiry committee.

The repairs were completed last year at the cost of rupees five million when some new patches were added to the old turf. But the attempt failed as the surface was uneven at certain portions.

It is learnt that the Astroturf was damaged after former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s helicopter landed on it. He is said to be going to the Gaddafi Stadium to watch a cricket match there.

The PSD had decided to lay a new turf in order to make the pitch ready for the Champions Trophy-2006, which was later shifted to Malaysia on security grounds. When FIH shifted the event to Malaysia, the department decided to only repair it instead of replacing it altogether.

The stadium is the property of the Government of Punjab. When the PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa was asked why the PHF is now holding the forthcoming national championship (from Jan 21) at the same uneven pitch, he was of the opinion that the ground was unfit for holding international matches and not for domestic.

When asked if the PHF also planned holding the now-cancelled international matches against Malaysia at the same ground, Bajwa said that those kind of matches could be held there but matches in the FIH programmes could not. Meanwhile, Bajwa has assured that the players would not experience any problems while playing in the national championships matches at the National Stadium.