Bureau Report
Lahore: Secretary-General, – Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Asif Bajwa said that they are planning to hold five-a-side tournament in August.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Bajwa said that they had received letters from the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) asking to resume hockey activities. Following the letter, PHF is now working on framing Standard Operating Procedure (SoPs) in order to resume activities.
“We have started planning to resume hockey activities in the country after getting a green signal from FIH. International hockey had already started with Germany taking on Belgium in Pro League contest,” he said. “We are looking forward to holding a five-a-side tournament in August. But, before that, we will write letters to Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and Provincial Sports Boards to frame SoPs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bajwa highlighted the importance of five-a-side format in order to move forward to the modern-day game. “Five-a-side format is very interesting and engaging a lot of players. FIH will hold five-a-side Hockey World Cup in 2023 which means that the format’s value has increased in such a short span of time,” he maintained. On the other hand, Bajwa confirmed that PHF will pay 30,000/- each to 30 players as COVID-19 Pandemic allowance. “We have short-listed 30 players after consulting with coaches who will get 30,000\- each as COVID-19 Pandemic allowance.
