Daily Times

LAHORE: Five teams – Lahore Lions, Islamabad Shaheens, Peshawar Deers, Karachi Dolphins and Quetta Panthers – will be participating in the First Pakistan Women Hockey League to be held at the National Hockey Stadium Lahore here from February 3-8. The league is being organised by the Punjab Women’s Hockey Association in collaboration with the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). Punjab Women’s Hockey Association secretary general Rahat Khan (organising secretary of the league), SBP director general Zulfiqar Ghumman and PHF director development and domestic Naveed Alam announced the details of the event at a press conference at the National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday. “The five teams include experienced departmental as well as young and upcoming players. Punjab provides the bulk of the players as presently a lot of women’s hockey is being played in the province. The players have been allocated to the teams in a manner so as to form balanced outfits. The Sports Board Punjab has sanctioned Rs 500,000 for the event, apart from giving the accommodation to the players. The PHF is providing umpires and technical officials. A few private sponsors have also come forward which is quite encouraging for women’s hockey,” said a spokesman for the PHF. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday (today) afternoon with the unveiling of the logo and trophy.