23-May-2012
The News
Syed Intikhab Ali
KARACHI: The installation of blue astro turf at PHF’s Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) in Karachi has been approved by the Sindh government and the provincial sports department is working hard to get it done as soon as possible, ‘The News’ learnt on Tuesday.
Informed sources said that when China hockey team came here to play a Test series at HCP against Pakistan, it was finally decided that the Sindh government would help PHF to set up the blue astro turf at HCP.
Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan took keen interest in the project and issued directives to provincial sports department.
Sports minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah has been working in this regard.
It has also been decided that HCP’s green turf would be shifted to Karachi Hockey Association’s (KHA) complex in Gulshan-e-Iqbal off Karachi University Road. The complex currently has neither grass nor a synthetic turf.
It may be noted here that the decision to this effect was taken keeping in view the shift from green turfs to blue turfs across the hockey world.
The PHF has decided that old green turfs in the country would be replaced by blue turfs gradually.
Punjab government’s sports board is also installing a blue turf at National Hockey Staium in Lahore.
Hockey matches in the London Olympics 2012 will be played on blue turf — for the first time in the history of the Games.
All teams except Pakistan will have had practice on the new turf for at least six months before they play their first matches of the quadrennial event.
But the delay in installation of blue turfs in Lahore and Karachi has deprived the greenshirts of such practice.
Hockey experts say the blue turf is faster, bouncy and slippery and demands much effort.
Secretary KHA Farooq Khan confirmed to ‘The News’ that when sports department completed the installation project at the HCP, the old green turf would be installed at their complex.
He said they could not organise any activity because of the lack of astro turf. He thanked Dr Shah for taking up the issue seriously and appealed to him to complete the project as soon as possible so that hockey activities could be organised by KHA.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/ |
