National Junior Hockey Championship will commence from Wednesday

KARACHI: Fifteen departmental and provincial teams will feature in the National Junior Hockey Championship that commences at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium here from Wednesday.

Three teams from Punjab and two from Sindh are participating in the 12-day Event. Chief minister Sindh’s Advisor on Sports Adil Siddiqui will be the chief guest on the opening day.

The Championship, which is a part of the efforts made by Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to promote the game at the grassroots levels, is being organized by Karachi Hockey Association.

The matches of the Championship will be played according in line with FIH new format in which each match will have a 60-minute play time with four halves. After the first and third halves, each team will have a two-minute break, while there will be a 10-minute half time at the end of the second half.

The PHF has made strict rules to ensure that no overage boy play in the Championship. The Federation has also appointed “Age Credentials Check Committee” which will be assisted by the local NADRA officials to verify and check the ages of the players.

The Committee will comprised of Olympian Tahir Zaman, Dr. Waqar Ahmed, Lt Col (R) Nadeem Ahmed Bhatti and Muhammad Ramzan Jamali. The PHF may conduct “Bone Test” or “Facial Scrutiny” to disqualify the over-age players. The concealment of age factor shall render the player and team manager involved, to debarment, which may be up to one year.

The participating teams have been placed into four pools. Pool-A: National Bank of Pakistan, Sindh ©, Punjab ©, Islamabad. Pool-B: Pakistan International Airlines, Punjab (W), Pakistan Board. Pool-C: Pakistan Army, Pakistan Railways, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Punjab (Y). Pool-D: Pakistan WAPDA, Customs, Sindh (W), Balochistan.

Today’s Matches: 7.00 am: KPK vs Punjab (Y), 9.00 am: Sindh (W) vs Balochistan, 3.00 pm: Punjab (W) Vs Pakistan Board, 5.00 pm: NBP vs Sindh (C).