Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab, Commissioner Office Lahore and Sports Board Punjab have joined hands for strengthening the base of national hockey and in this regard Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz along with Commissioner Lahore Capt (retd) M Usman and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi addressed a press conference at National Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz announced that as a first step towards achieving this goal, Lahore Division Under-13 Hockey League is being launched from July 5, 2022.
Deputy Commissioner Lahore Umer Sher Chattha, Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Director Youth Affairs Syed Omair Hasan, Olympians Tauqeer Dar, Kh Junaid, former skipper M Saqlain, DSO Tanveer Shah and other officials were also present on this occasion.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz said that the inauguration ceremony of Lahore Division Under-13 Hockey League will be held at National Hockey Stadium on July 5 while the matches of the league will start on July 16, 2022 at three venues of Lahore – National Hockey Stadium, National Hockey Stadium Pitch-2 and Johar Town Hockey ground.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz said that holding of Under-13 Hockey League was imperative to trace fresh hockey talent at the grassroots level. “It is just beginning and we are going to make this tournament a part of our Annual Sports Calendar. I’m quite upbeat that after 3-4 years, we will be able to build a pool of talented hockey players who will be ready to represent the national hockey team in an international hockey tournament”.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz said: “We are planning to hold this event every year. Now this league will be an integral part of our sports calendar. This will be an incentive-based league and we will give stipends to all talented and top performing players. After district level, this league will be organized at divisional level in the next phase”.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz said it is a long journey launched with an aim to regain Pakistan’s lost glory in the hockey field. He also appreciated Commissioner Lahore Capt (retd) M Usman for taking this great initiative.
Commissioner Lahore Capt (retd) M Usman informed that three teams from Lahore and two teams from other three districts of Lahore division will participate in U-13 Hockey League. “The trials of the Under-13 Hockey League
have been completed in which over 1100 U-13 players took part from across the Lahore Division”.
Commissioner Lahore Capt (retd) M Usman also thanked Sports Board Punjab and Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab for extending all possible facilities during trials and patronizing this game-changing junior hockey tournament. He said that the former and current renowned hockey players will encourage children in U-13 Hockey League.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi on this occasion said that Sports Board Punjab will provide all possible facilities for the holding of this grand junior hockey tournament. Prior to press conference, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi and Commissioner Lahore Capt (retd) M Usman also had a meeting at DG Sports office.
Former Olympian Kh Junaid on this occasion informed that the matches of U-13 Hockey League will be played on weekends on home and away basis. Olympians Tauqeer Dar, Kh Junaid, former skipper M Saqlain later thanked Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi for patronizing this U-13 Hockey League.