Daily Times

LAHORE: Lahore’s Aitchison College, also called the Eton of Pakistan, has produced several distinguished sportsmen in many disciplines. These include the current Prime Minister Imran Khan who is widely regarded as Pakistan’s greatest cricketer and is the country’s only World Cup-winning captain. The college also has a great hockey legacy. Pakistan’s last Olympic gold medal-winning team (Los Angeles 1984) included many as three Aitchisonians: Qasim Zia, Ayaz Mahmood and legendary Hasan Sardar, for many the greatest centre-forward of all time. Then the College’s main hockey ground is named after the late Aitchisonian, Jaffar Shah, a member of the two Olympic gold medal-winning teams of British India (1932 and 1936). Aitchison College’s current principal Michael Thompson, who hails from the great sporting country of Australia, is very keen to see the college excel in sports once again. A few years back, synthetic turf was laid at the Jaffar Shah Hockey Ground. The Principal also desires to have strong college teams in various sports. Recently, the college held open trials to select three under-15 hockey players. Boys came from far and wide. Pakistan’s premier hockey nursery, Dar Hockey Academy, sent three boys for the trials. Remarkably, two of them Majid and Faisal were among the three selected. They have been awarded a full scholarship along with boarding and lodging at the Aitchison College hostel.