ISLAMABAD: With an aim to improving the national game at grassroots level, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced that they plan to lay approximately 100 mini synthetic turfs at schools all across the country. Former Olympian and current PHF Director Development and Domestic, Naveed Alam, said Sunday that they would be setting up as many as 100 mini-synthetic turfs in the first phase at school, college and districts level to strengthen the national game from the ground up. “We are collecting data from schools, and expect completion in the last week of July. The first phase of the project is in its final stage. With regards to this, the PHF has asked the provincial associations to inform all schools in question about this project,” he said. Naveed further added that the whole project would include 500 schools and is expected to be completed in around four years. “We will be taking recommendations from provincial, district associations regarding this plan and then the schools which take a keen interest in this project will be taken on priority,” he said. The task of the selection of schools would be undertaken with the cooperation of provincial and district bodies. Responding to a question, he also said that the PHF would prefer government-run schools as they have space (grounds) available in their schools for the purpose of laying a mini turf. “Private schools will also be facilitated depends on the space they have available,” he added.