Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has said said that more than 30 international players are likely to participate in the inaugural edition of country’s franchise-based Professional League to be staged in November. A PHF official was quoted as saying Wednesday that players from five to ten countries would be participating in the league. “The most likely countries’ players to participate in the league are from Argentina, Germany, New Zealand and Australia,” he said. “The event will be staged in Lahore, Faisalabad and Gojra. Now, we are waiting for permission from the Punjab Government and for that we have already written a letter to them. We require an NOC from the Punjab Government to invite foreign players here,” he added. The PHF official said they were making all-out efforts to initiate Pakistan’s first league before the end of this year and were making contacts with players of different hockey playing nations. “Besides providing financial support to us, the league will prove a landmark in regaining the lost glory of the national game. We are sure it will help rebuild our supremacy in the game internationally,” he maintained. He said that since Pakistan were not performing well in the international arena, the league would therefore increase the domestic players’ confidence by playing with foreigners. “There would be at least five to six teams of different cities including foreign players.” Responding to a question, he said Indian players would not be invited for the league. “National training camps of national Under-18, senior women and senior men’s team are currently underway in Islamabad and Lahore. “We are working on U-18 players in order to groom them for future and they would be sent to participate in international tournaments annually,” he concluded.