Governor’s Gold Cup Hockey begins in Pakistan Today
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

KARACHI: Ten departmental and host Sindh will be featuring in the All Pakistan Governor’s Gold Hockey Tournament being staged at Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium from today, Saturday to August-14.

"Sindh Sports Board (SSB) is sponsoring the event by contributing Rs 3,00,000," Sindh Sports Minister and Chairman Organizing Committee Qamar Mansoor said at joint news conference alongwith Tournament Director (TD) Muhammad Shafique and Secretary Sindh Hockey Association Ramzan Jamali at HCP Thursday.

Qamar Mansoor said Governor’s Cup is an annual event of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) which is held in every provincial capital on rotation basis. He said it was honor that they are organizing the event without any sponsor.

He expressed the hope that conducting of these national event will help in creating soft image of the city. Sindh Minister said some matches of the event will be conducted under lights for which KESC has been request to arrange generators.

He said he will himself inaugurate the competition while Sindh Governor has been requested to be the Chief Guest at the final held on occasion of Independence Day.

Eleven teams which have confirmed their participation included defending champion PIA, PTCL, National Bank, Pakistan Police, Sui Southern Gas, Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Customs and Sindh.

TD said they are trying to bring another team to complete two pools six each. However, he added in case they failed to arrange another team, groups of six and five teams will be created.

He said top two teams from each pool will progress in the semifinals of the championship. Responding to a question regarding ensuring the participation of all the top available players, the Minister said it upto the departmental teams to ask their players to play in the event.

He said various committees comprising well-wishers of sports have been formed for smooth conduct of the championship. Technical Committee included Shams-uz-Zaman, Muhammad Shafique, Abdullah Talat, Younus Siddiqui, Saeed Ahmed, Qadeer Ahmed, Dr.Khalil Ahmed, Rashid Ali Khan abnd Dr Kabir Ahemd Cheema.

Panel umpires comprised of Rashad Mahmood Butt, Zulfiqar Haider, Haider Rasool, Mahmood Anwar Dar, Rana Muhammad Liaquat, Mohsin Ali Khan, Zulfiqar Hussain, Chaudhry Tanveer Arshad, Takrim Iftikhar, Shoaib Riffat, Raja Anwar Kamal and Ikhlaq Bukhari.●