Daily Times

LAHORE: Lahore’s Dar Hockey Academy is easily the best hockey nursery in Pakistan. Being run through private sponsors since 2006, with boys scouted from all over the country, the academy is the conveyor belt of quality players; several have donned the national shirt. Under the leadership of Dar HA’s dynamic president Olympic gold medallist Tauqeer Dar, the academy is now holding the 2nd Hi-Tech Hockey Tournament at the recently built magnificent Manzoorul Hassan Hockey Stadium in Lahore from December 06 to 09. The main sponsors are Hi-Tech Group of Companies, a mega industrial outfit. This edition will figure four school teams: Divisional Public School (Lahore), Junior Model High School, Model Town (Lahore), Noor Project High School (Lahore) and Government High School, Farooqabad (district Sheikhupura).

After a single league, the top two teams will play the final with the other two sides figuring in the 3rd place match. The event carries cash prizes unheard of in school tournament:. winners: Rs.200,000/-, runners-up Rs.100,000/-, third position Rs.50,000 and fourth position Rs.25,000. In addition, there will be man of the match awards. The teams will also be provided with travelling allowance and free kits. Each team will have a mentor. Some of the biggest names in the country`s hockey history have agreed to guide the youngsters: Akhtar Rasool is one of the greatest center-halves in the game`s history and the winner of three World Cup golds including one as the captain, Manzoorul Hassan is one of the finest defenders the game has seen and a World Cup winner, Khawaja Junaid is best-left half of his time, and also a World Cup winner and Rehan Butt is the world`s best right winger for a long period, and Asian Games gold medallist.

Expressing his gratitude to the main sponsors, Tauqeer Dar said: “I must mention Brigadier Tahir Butt, a serving Pakistan army officer and former hockey player who also attended Pakistan juniors’ camp. He is instrumental in arranging the Hi-Tech group’s patronage for this tournament as he did the last time. The event is being held at the Manzoorul Hassan Hockey Stadium. Brigadier Tahir Butt had played a pivotal role in convincing the army`s higher authorities to build a hockey stadium in Lahore cantonment.”