Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportRAWALPINDI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Saturday announced that the 67th National Hockey Championship would be held at the Lt. General Ashfaq Nadeem Hockey Stadium, Ayub Park, Rawalpindi from October 12 to 23, 2023.According to an official, the tournament will be conducted in collaboration with the Army Welfare Trust (AWT). Hockey top national event will feature the participation of affiliated provincial units and departmental teams associated with the PHF. This significant event is being organized under the joint venture of the PHF and the Army Welfare Trust.

WAPDA overcome host team Mari Petroleum Company Limited 3-2 in finalAbdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: Pakistan WAPDA overcame host team Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) 3-2 in the final of the 2nd Mari Petroleum Azdi Cup Hockey Tournament 2023 here at Lieutenant General Ashfaq Nadeem Hockey Stadium Ayub Park.Umar Bhatta, Tossiq Arshad, and Salman Razzak scored goal for WAPDA while Mohammad Sufyan Khan and Arbaaz Ahmed scored one goal each for Mari Petroleum. Yasir Khursheed International and Ameer Hamza performed the duties of umpiring while Asad Abbas and Irfan Tahir were reserve umpires. Technical Officials were Murtaza Bhatti, Asif Baig, Hamza Tufail, Gulfam Khokhar, Akhtar Ali and Rafiqur Rahman performed the responsibilities of judges well. At the end of the final match, the chief guest, Chairman Fuji Group of Companies, Waqar Ahmad Malik awarded the Pakistan WAPDA winning trophy along with prize money Rs 1.5 million. On this occasion, Secretary General Pakistan Hockey Federation Syed Haider Hussain, Syeda Shehla Raza, Tournament Director Olympian Nasir Ali, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, Olympian Naeem Akhtar, Olympian Saeed Khan, Olympian Rahim Khan, Olympian Danish Kaleem, Rana Shafiq International, Tournament Organizing Secretary Col. Mohammad Yamin, Assistant Tournament Director Major Tariq Wark, Assistant Tournament Director Raja Shuja Iqbal, Umpires Manager Zulfiqar Hussain, Assistant Umpires Manager Kamran Shah, Assistant Umpires Manager Mubarak Ali, and Assistant Media Coordinator Mohammad Hafeez were present.

Federation makes a change in the selection Committee, Mohammad Shafiq to replace Shakil AbbasiAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) invited 36 players from different departments for the training camp for the upcoming Asian Games 2023, which will be rolled into action from August 21 (Monday) here at Nasser Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex under the supervision of Shahnaz Sheikh. The Asian Games will be held from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China. According to the media department of PHF, all players have been advised to report to the camp commandant and head coach, Olympian Shahnaz Shaikh, on August 21st before 4 pm. Also, PHF designated Rana Mohammad Shafiq, a former gold medalist in the World Hockey Cup, as a member of the National Hockey Selection Committee after the approval of President PHF, Brig (Retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar. Rana Mohammad Shafiq, who clinched gold medals in the 1978 Asian Games and the 1978 World Cup, participated in 33 international matches. Rana Mohammad Shafiq has also served various roles within the national hockey teams, including manager, coach, selector, and camp commandant. Rana Mohammad Shafiq will replace Olympian Shakeel Abbasi.Also, PHF finalized the team management, as the president PHF Khalid Sajjad Khokhar nominated Olympian Shahnaz Shaikh (Head Coach/Camp Commandant), Olympian Dilawar Hussain, Olympian Shakeel Abbasi (coaches), and Amjad Ali (goalkeeper coach). Saeed Khan will be team manager while Brigadier Mohammad Yusuf Baig will be team doctor. Rana Nasrullah Khan's appointment has been as a physical trainer. Players included are as follows:Names of players: Akmal Hussain (WAPDA), Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan (MPCL), Waqar Ahmed (WAPDA), Ali Raza (Punjab), Abdullah Sheikh (Sindh), Mohammad Abdullah (MPCL), Arbaaz Ahmed (MPCL), Mohammad Sufyan Khan (KPK), Aqeel Ahmed (WAPDA), Mohammad Bilal Aslam (Customs), Osama Bashir (PAF), Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob (WAPDA), Arbaaz Ayaz (Sindh), Ehtisham Aslam (MPCL), Mohammad Baqir (Punjab), Mohammad Nadeem Khan (KPK), Mohammad Imran (PAF), Syed Shahbaz Haider (Navy), Rana Abdul Waheed (WAPDA), Mohammad Imad (Customs), Mohammad Afraz (MPCL), Roman Khan (WAPDA), Arshad Liaquat (MPCL), Abdul Qayyum (Customs), Abdul Rahman (WAPDA), Waqar Ali (MPCL), Mohammad Arsalan (Punjab), Mohammad Umar Bhatta (WAPDA), Abdul Hanan Shahid (WAPDA), Mohammad Shahzeb Khan (Customs), Abdul Wahab (Sindh), Zakaria Hayat (Navy), Basharat Ali (Navy), Rana Waleed (Punjab), Hamza Fayyaz (Punjab), Abdul Rahman (PAF). 

Mari Petroleum Company Limited and Pakistan Navy lock horns till match ends 3-3Abdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: Pakistan WAPDA and Army Colours registers comprehensive victories while Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), and Pakistan Navy locked horns till the final whistle on the second day of the 2nd Mari Petroleum Azadi Cup Hockey Tournament 2023 at Lt General Retired Ashfaq Nadeem Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi on Wednesday.In the first match of the day, Pakistan WAPDA stunned Pakistan Air Force (PAF) 7-1, as Taufiq Arshad scored 2 goals while Ejaz Ahmed, Abdul Rehman, Ali Ejaz, Ahmed Khan, and Hanan Shahid directed the ball in the goalpost once. Mohsin Hasan scored the only goal for Pakistan Air Force.The second match was played between Army Colours and Punjab Rangers. Pakistan Army exhibited a remarkable game and thrashed opponents 5-1. Owais Zahid scored 2 goals while Muzamil, Ghazanfar and Wasim Akram scored one goal each for Army Colours. Mohammad Baqir scored the single goal for Punjab Rangers.In the third match, host team of the tournament, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) and Pakistan Navy scored each three goals in four quarters, as the players of both sides displayed top quality hockey and amused a handful hockey lovers with the game skills. Arbaaz Ahmed, Umeer Sattar and Arshad Liaquat scored one goal each for Mari Petroleum while Yasir Anwar, Hammad Ali and Mohammad Saber scored one goal each for Pakistan Navy. The match ended 3-3.On this occasion, Tournament Director Olympian Nasir Ali, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, Tournament Organizing Secretary Colonel Mohammad Yameen, Assistant Tournament Director Major Tariq Wark, Assistant Tournament Director Raja Shuja Iqbal, Umpires Manager Zulfikar Hussain, Assistant Umpires Manager Kamran Shah, Assistant Umpires Manager Mubarak Ali. , Event Media Coordinator Zulfikar Baig, and Assistant Media Coordinator Mohammad Hafeez were present in the stadium.Thursday’s Fixtures:Pakistan Police vs Army WhitesPakistan WAPDA vs Punjab RangersPakistan Air Force vs Army Colours

Mari Petroleum Company Limited, Navy, WAPDA, Pakistan Air Force claim victoriesAbdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), Pakistan Navy, Pakistan WAPDA, and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) posted victories in the 2nd Mari Petroleum Azadi Cup Hockey Tournament 2023 after beating their respective opponents at Lt General Retired Ashfaq Nadeem Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi on Tuesday. It is pertinent to mention here that the tournament is being organized by Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) under the banner Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).In the first match of the day-1, host team Mari Petroleum outclassed Pakistan Police 5-1. Arbaaz Ahmed of Mari Petroleum scored 3 goals in a row on the penalty corner to score the first hat-trick of the tournament. Afraz Khan played an important role in his team's victory by scoring 2 goals. Qayyum Dogar could score a solitary goal for Police. Haroon Rasheed and Asad Abbas performed the duties of umpires while Ameer Hamza was the reserve umpire. Technical officials Murtaza Bhatti along with Yasir Lodhi and Tariq Butt performed the responsibilities of the judges.Meanwhile, in the second fixture, Pakistan Navy thrashed Army Whites by 5-1 in a single-sided affair. Basharat, Ehsanullah Khan, Mohammad Sabir, Hamad Ali, Rana Waleed scored one goal each from Pakistan Navy while Zul Noreen scored the only goal for Army White. Umpires’ duties were performed by Irfan Tahir and Fahad Ali Khan while Asad Abbas was the reserve umpire. Technical officials were Akhtar Ali along with Yasir Lodhi and Asif Shahzad acted as judges.In the penultimate fixture of the day, Pakistan WAPDA overcame Army Colour 1-0 in a nail-and-bite competition, thanks to a penalty corner goal by Panchwal Abbas in the last minute of the match. Haroon Rasheed and Ameer Hamza were field umpires while Malik Safdar was reserve umpire. Syed Zia Hussain Bukhari, Asif Shahzad, Yasir Lodhi, and Akhtar Ali were technical officials.The last match of the day was played between Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and Punjab Rangers, which PAF won by 2-1. Mohsin Hasan scored both goals from Pakistan Air Force while Dawood Bhatta scored the only goal from Punjab Rangers. Anwar Hussain and Zahid Ali performed the umpiring duties in this match along with Rizwan Khan who was the reserve umpire. The technical officials included Naveed Mirza, Gulfam Khokhar, and Yasir Lodhi along with Rafiqur Rehman.On this occasion, Tournament Director Olympian Nasir Ali, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, Tournament Organizing Secretary Colonel Mohammad Yameen, Assistant Tournament Director Major Tariq Wark, Assistant Tournament Director Raja Shuja Iqbal, Empires Manager Zulfikar Hussain, Assistant Empires Manager Kamran Shah, Assistant Empires Manager Mubarak Ali.   

Abdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI:-The 2nd edition of the Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2023 will be rolled into action at Lt. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem Hockey Stadium, Ayub Park Rawalpindi. Besides hosts, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), WAPDA, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Police, and Punjab Rangers will fight for top honour during the six-day national hockey fixture.According to an official, the event will be conducted following International Hockey Federation (FIH), and Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) rules, as the top national technical officials and umpires will supervise the matches. Pride of Performance Olympian Nasir Ali, who secured gold medals in the 1984 Olympics and the 1982 World Cup, has been appointed Tournament Director for the Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup.Local men, Shuja Iqbal Raja and Major (Retd) Tariq Ahmed have been appointed as Assistant Tournament Directors. Colonel (retd) Mohammad Yameen Khan (Mari Petroleum) will fulfill the role of Organizing Secretary, while Dr. Ahsan Tanveer (Islamabad) has been designated Deputy Organizing Secretary.The position of chief coordinator has been entrusted to Lt. Col. R. Mohammad Asif Naz Khokhar (Lahore). Heading the jury of appeal is Olympian Hanif Khan (Karachi), an ex-captain of the national hockey team, as well as a gold medalist from the 1984 Olympics and the 1982 World Cup. Accompanying him are former international Hockey Player World Cup Gold medalist, Rana Mohammad Shafiq (Toba Tek Singh), and Rai Usman Akbar (Lahore), who will both serve as members.The Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup Technical Officials Panel includes the following appointed Haji Naeem (Rawalpindi), Tariq Butt (Lahore), Syed Zia Hussain Bukhari (Rawalpindi), Asif Baig (Islamabad), Akhtar Ali (Hyderabad), Yasir Lodhi (CASCO), Mohammad Yasin (Rawalpindi), Rafiqur Rehman (Rawalpindi), Murtaza Bhatti (Rawalpindi), Tahir Sharif Gujjar (Whari), Hamza Tufail (Peshawar), Asif Shahzad (Islamabad), Naveed Ahmed (Islamabad), and Gulfam Khokhar (Islamabad).Empires Panel: Anwar Hussain (Army), Yasir Khurshid International (Railways), Haroon Rashid International (Peshawar), Ameer Hamza (Air Force), Waqas Ahmed Butt (WAPDA), Asad Abbas (Army), Wasim (Army), Fahad Ali Khan (Karachi), Irfan Tahir (Bahawalpur), Zahid Ali (Larkana), Rizwan Khan (Karachi), and Malik Safdar (Islamabad).

Camp to start on June 12 for the preparation of the Asian Champions Trophy Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD:-Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has invited 45 players for training camp, which will get underway on June 12, at National Hockey Stadium Lahore aiming to gear up the national field hockey athletes for the forthcoming Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament that will be played from August 3 to 12, 2023 this year 2023 in Chennai, India.According to an official of PHF, on the recommendations of the National Selection Committee, the PHF has invited 45 lads to report to the manager Col (Retd) Umer Sabir joining camp along with team officials.Names of players:Goalkeepers (7):Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan (MPCL), Akmal Hussain (WAPDA), Ali Raza (Punjab), Mohammad Faizan Janjua (Customs), Waqar (WAPDA), Abdullah Sheikh (Sindh), Bilal Khan (Balochistan)Defenders (5):Arbaz Ahmad (MPCL), Mohammad Sufyan Khan (KPK), Mohammad Abdullah (MPCL), Aqeel Ahmed (WAPDA), Mohammad Bilal Aslam (Customs)          Midfielders (8):Junaid Manzoor (NBP), Ahtisham Aslam (MPCL), Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob (WAPDA), Mohammad Baqir (Punjab), Arbaz Ayaz (Sindh), Mohammad Nadeem Khan (KPK), Mohammad Zain (Customs), Mohammad Ammad (Customs).Forwards (25):Rana Abdul Waheed (WAPDA), Mohammad Umar Bhutta (WAPDA), Afraz (MPCL), Abdul Hannan Shahid (WAPDA), Rooman (WAPDA), Mohammad Shahzaib Khan (Customs), Usama Bashir (PAF), Mohammad Imran (PAF), Arshad Liaqat (MPCL), Abdul Wahab (Sindh), Abdul Rehman (WAPDA), Zikriya Hayat (Navy), Ali Murtaza (Customs), Basharat Ali (Navy), Abdul Qayyum (Customs), Bilal Akram (Punjab), Mohammad Adnan (Sindh), Rana Suhail Riaz (Customs), Waqar Ali (MPCL), Shoaib Khan (KPK), Abdul Wajid (Balochistan), Saad Shafique (Punjab), Taimoor Javed Khan (Punjab), Syed Shahbaz Haider (Navy), Mohammad Arsalan (Punjab).Official Staff:Col (Retd) Umar Sabir (Manager), Olympian Mohammad Saqlain, Olympian Rehan Butt, Olympian Dilawar Hussain & International Abdul Haseem Khan (Coaches), Abdul Ghafoor (GK Coach), Mohammad Shahid (Physiotherapist).