Pakistan Olympic Association

 

KARACHI: The preparations for two Pakistan-China Test matches at Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) have been completed, first of which is to be played here on Wednesday (tomorrow). 

 

According to the schedule of the test series, the Chinese team will play two back-to-back matches in the city on December 21 and 22 before moving to Faisalabad for the third Test on December 24. The fourth Test will be played in Lahore the next day. 

 

The administrator HCP Olympian Iftikhar Syed told The News that HCP is ready for the match. He said that after a long gap of eight years, international hockey is returning to Pakistan. The 2004 Asia Cup was the last time Karachi saw international hockey.

 

Champions Trophy held in the same year in Lahore was the last time international hockey was played there. Due to various reasons, the condition of HCP had been deteriorating, before it was decided to hold two of the Sino-Pak series here. 

 

Syed confidently said that all preparations have been completed and before the matches both hockey teams would practise here on Tuesday. 

 

He said that both goal posts which were old and rusted have been replaced. All broken chairs for the spectators have been replaced. The wash rooms have been cleaned and a new sewerage line has been laid here. 

 

Parking always remains a big issue during big hockey matches at HCP. Syed claimed that appropriate arrangements have been made for car and motorcycle parking just behind the HCP near a marriage garden where more than 200 four-wheelers and hundreds of motorcycles can easily be parked. 

 

In case of requirement of further parking, arrangements have been made in a ground of a nearby school, he added. 

 

Asked why night matches have not been planned, Syed said there was no issue of floodlights or power outage, but the decision to organise the matches in daylight was taken by the hockey federations of both countries. 

 

The provincial sports department is also cooperating with the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) and local administration of HCP to organise the matches in a befitting manner. Sources told The News that Rs2 million has been allocated by the Sindh government for the matches. 

 

But informed sources revealed to this scribe that till Monday evening the Rs 2 million was not released. No one in PHF or KHA confirmed till filing of this report that allocated grant has been received.