PESHAWAR
Women and Men Hockey trials under Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Youth Talent Hunt Program will be commencing from August 23 at the Austro-Turf of the Islamia College Ground for Men and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda for Women.
This was stated by Vice Chancellor University of Peshawar Professor Dr. Muhammad Idrees while addressing a press briefing here at University Campus on Monday. HEC Coordinator Youth Affairs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Engr. Muhammad Arif Rawan, Director General Sports University of Peshawar and former international gold medalist athlete Bahre Karam and Deputy Director Sports and national athlete Maria Samin Jan were also present.
Both Bahre Karam and Maria Samin Jan are supervising the forthcoming hockey Men and Women trials at two different venues – Islamia College University Hockey ground and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex, Charsadda, also visit the venues Islamia College Peshawar and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda and thoroughly checked the overall preparations for the Men and Women Hockey trials under the Prime Minister Youth Talent Hunt Program.
Engr. Muhammad Arif Rawan said that both Men and Women players in the age of 15-year to 25-year of age would be eligible to participate. He said it was the efforts of Engr. Amir Muqam, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Political and Public Affairs, Heritage, Culture and Sports Division who wants to bring the youth of the country toward healthy sports activities.
He said, the hockey aspirants, both male and female, have been advised to bring their form-B/CNIC, two passport size photos, last certificate of the education qualification, if any, to ascertain their age well before the trials on Tuesday. A trials committee headed Bahre Karam with its members including Maria Samin (Female), Olympian Rahim Khan and two members from Central Punjab University and Punjab University. He said the trials committee would look into the trials separately for Men and Women at two different venues – Islamia College University Peshawar and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda wherein players from Peshawar Region would take part.
He said, Maria Samin, Deputy Director Sports Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University was nominated by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as head of the Women Hockey trials under Prime Minister Youth Talent Hunt Program for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Bahre Karam would overall heading all affairs.
Arif Rawan said that soon after the trials Prime Minister Youth Hockey League would also be conducted first at the provincial level wherein all the selected players from Bannu, Peshawar, Mardan, Hazara and Swat would make a team to represent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National Hockey League later on at national level wherein 25 teams from as many regions would take part. About the trials, Arif Rawan said that apart from hockey, trials would also be organized in Table Tennis (Male, Female), Badminton (Male, Female), Volleyball (Male, Female), Cricket (Male, Female), Squash (Male, Female), Judo (Male, Female) in different dates.
About Hockey trials, he said, after Peshawar on August 23-24, 2022 at two different venues Islamia College Peshawar for Men and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda for female, similar trials would be organized at Astro Turf of the Mardan Sports Complex on August 27, 28, 2022, Swat on August 31 and September 1, 2022 at Makan Bagh, Mingora Hockey Ground, Hazara on Sunday and Monday on September 4-5, 2022 at Abbottabad Police Hockey Ground, and Bannu on Thursday and Friday (September 8-9, 2022) at Qazi Mohib Hockey Complex. It is open for all ages between 15-year-old to 25-year-old.
DG Sports UoP Bahre Karam termed the trials very vital for the promotion of hockey in the KP in particular and in the country in general. He said without promotion of hockey at the grassroots level, Pakistan could not achieve its lost glory in the world of hockey.
