Dar Academy face Holland Veterans at Johar Hockey Stadium today

Lahore: Tauqir Dar Hockey Academy will take on the visiting Holland Veterans in their second match of the three-match series here at the Johar Hockey Stadium on Wednesday (today) at 2 pm and Mian Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, MNA will be the chief guest.

The Sports Board Punjab is holding the remaining two matches of the series as part of its Punjab International Sports Festival activity in collaboration with the Dar Hockey Academy while the third match of the series would be played tomorrow (Thursday). Deputy Speaker Punjab and Convener Sports Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan and Director General Sports Punjab Usman Anwar will be among the guests.

The Flying Dutch veteran hockey team that landed in the city on December 2 and played their first match against Aitchison College team on TUesday but the result remained two-all. The visiting team comprises a number of Dutch greats like Van Pelete who played three Olympics for Holland and won two Olympic gold medals. Another Duct great Waltering is also considered one of the big name of world hockey, is also part of the visiting team.

Waltering scored the final goal in the World Cup final of 1990 at Lahore while Van Higfte, another international Dutch player, is also among the visiting greats. Dutch World Cup veteran Kalsrey is also part of the visiting veterans.

Led by Van Pelete, the Flying Dutch will meet the young guns of Dar Academy and later on December 7 they will face the Pakistan Veterans at the same venue.

These former Dutch greats are all members of the Flying Dutch Veteran Club team which is the oldest hockey club of Holland. The team is managed by Rob Lathouwers, who has dispelled the impression of insecurity in Pakistan.

The SBP and Dar Academy invited the Dutch veterans as part of the activity being held under the vision of Chief Minister Punjab and the guidance of Rana Mashood.

Only recently, Japanese wrestlers got involved in freestyle wrestling to mark the 60 years of Pakistan and Japan diplomatic relations and the event was named as Sports and Peace Festival.

The presdient of the Dar Academy, Tauqir Dar has praised the guesture of the Sports Board Punjab for making the Dutch veterans series against home sides as part of the Punjab International Sports Festival.