35 short-listed in National Games hockey trials
Trials for the 35th National Games hockey event in Karachi were held at the Olympian Hanif Khan and Dr. Junaid Ali Shah Hockey Stadium at KHA Sports Complex, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
SHA selection committee Member, Olympian Wasim Feroze said that more than 70 players from across the province have participated for the men's team trials. "We have given each player a full opportunity to express their talents. This process will also be done with the women's team."
Under the supervision of Chairman Selection Committee Sindh Hockey Association Olympian Iftikhar Syed, 35 best players were selected for the first phase from among the players who participated in the trials, while Sindh Olympic Association Special Representative Muhammad Asghar Baloch saw the trials as an observer.
On this occasion, Olympian Iftikhar Syed said that SHA President and Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab has a hockey family background. "Murtaza's father, Wahab Siddiqui, was a hockey player. We participated in many competitions together," he said.
Iftikhar urged Mayor Karachi to establish a high-quality hockey academy for Sindh players in the city. "We will provide free services in the academy to revive the national game. There is excellent hockey talent in the province. There is a need to provide them with training and opportunities. I am sure that Sindh team will perform well in the 35th National Games."
A training camp for the Sindh team consisting of selected players will be held at the KHA Sports Complex.
The names of the selected players are as follows. Goalkeepers: Abdul Rafey, Abdullah Sheikh (Karachi) Nabeel Akhtar (SBA), Fullbacks: Babar Saadat, Arsalan Khalid, Zafir Ahmed (Karachi), Adnan Ali (Mirpur Khas), M Daniyal (SBA), M Osama (Hyderabad), Fayyaz (Sukkur). Halfbacks: Arbaz Ayaz, Shahbaz Haider, Ali Afridi, Ali Abbas, Daniyal Ali, Mohsin Nawaz, Waris Naseer (Karachi) Zohaib (Sukkur) Zaman Ali (SBA), Forwards: Mujtaba, Shahzeb Khan, Hammad Ayaz, Haris Naseer, Zain, Ghulam Ali, Rashid Ali, Shahzeb Arbab (Karachi) Missam Abbas (KHR) Rehan Khan, Hammad Rizwan, M Faizan, M Israr, Munawar, (Hyderabad) Farrukh Ali Hashmi and Kamran Ali (Sukkur).
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