Daily Times

LAHORE: Inaugural Hockey-5 Championship will be played here from June 18 to 25 under floodlights at National Hockey Stadium. Hockey-5, a faster version of the game, is considered equivalent to Twenty20 cricket. Addressing a news conference on Thursday, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary general Shahbaz Ahmad said the PHF was making all efforts to revive hockey in Pakistan. “Launching of 5-a-side hockey is an effort in that direction. It will help in enthusing new spirit in the sagging fortunes of our hockey through presenting a faster version of the game,” he added. Shahbaz said hopefully it would play a role in hockey regaining its past popularity akin to what T20 had done in cricket. “As every player including the goal keeper has a chance to score goal in this version so it should attract kids.”

The PHF official especially thanked the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) for extending sponsorship of Rs.10 million for the event, and also for providing jobs to hockey players. Abdul Rauf, general manager of the OGDCL, also spoke on the occasion and assured the PHF of continued support of his department for promotion of the national sport. It is pertinent to mention that 5-a-side hockey is a newly introduced version of the sport. Played on a smaller pitch, almost half the size of a regular hockey field, it is fast paced with less stoppage.

Tournament director Tahir Zaman elaborated on the technical benefits for players. “Because of the faster pace, the situation changes frequently from attack to defence and vice versa. It has been observed that our players often take more time to adapt to this changing scenario. Hockey-5 will not only help in overcoming this weakness but should also improve communication and ball watching skills, two other sore points. Then goal keeping skills will also be sharpened,” he maintained. Tahir said after holding the first hockey-5 championship, the event would be moved to schools in order to engage maximum youth in healthy activities. “This event is very important for Pakistan hockey in the current circumstances as majority of junior players will participate in it. The same boys will go on a European tour and later participate in the Junior Hockey World Cup,” he concluded.