Daily Times

LAHORE: Recently, National Tray Hockey Championship was held at Lahore`s National Hockey Stadium. The Tray Championship served as a qualifier for the 66th National Championship scheduled in Rawalpindi from 5th to 20th November. The top two of the 10 teams which participated in the Tray Championship, Punjab and Mari Petroleum Corporation Limited, qualified for the National Championships. In the final of the Tray Championship, Punjab defeated MPCL on a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in 60 minutes. Pakistan’s premier hockey nursery Dar Hockey Academy had a massive presence in the Tray Championship. A total of 16 Dar Academy boys appeared for five teams. Remarkably four of these five teams reached the semifinals. Islamabad, who had the services of one Dar Academy player, were the lone exception. Dar Academy’s highly promising forward Murtaza Yaqoob, being declared the Player of the Tournament, was icing on the cake. Murtaza, grandson of late Afzal Manna, silver medallist at the 1964 Olympics, scored both the goals for the MPCL in the final against the Punjab in the regulation time. Dar Academy has become an essential ingredient of the success recipe in Pakistan`s domestic hockey.

Punjab (Winners): Gul Sher Khan & Saad

MPCL (Runners Up): Mohsin, Wasim Akram, Asif Hanif, Aqeel, Abdul Rehman, Awais Arshad & Murtaza Yaqoob

Pakistan Air Force (3rd Position): Ibrahim Khan

Higher Education Commission (4th Position): Shahzaib, Roman Khan, Asad, Umar Farooq & Safyan

Islamabad: Fazan Janjua.