KARACHI: A record breaking over 800 hundred young boys and girls turned up on the opening day of the 14-day KHA free of cost Winter Hockey Coaching camp at the KHA Sports Complex.
The list of players includes 200 women, says a Press release.
The KHA Coordinators lined up the players to maintain discipline. The camp is in accordance with the PHF vision to promote domestic hockey.
Samiullah and Hanif Khan also revived the old tradition of bully to inaugurate the KHA winter camp.
It is also the desire of the Sindh government to promote sports into the province. The players who want to excel in the game have come not only from the metropolis but from Gilgit, Sadiqabad, Mirpur Khas, Dadu and Hub.
A number of parents accompanied their children who reside in far-flung areas of the city. On the opening day the camp trainees were bifurcated in 5 different age groups namely Group (A) 5 to 8 years, Group (B) 9 to 12, Group (C) 13 to 16 Group (D) 17 to 20 and Group (E) 22 and above.
The KHA has announced schedule of training of different Groups from Thursday onwards.
Group A and Group B 4:00pm to 5:00 pm, Group C 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Group D girls 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, boys 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Group E 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
Besides, women trainees have been placed in one group.
The KHA have made befitting arrangements to maintain SOPs announced by government for COVID-19.
A number of former Olympians and Internationals like Samiullah, Hanif Khan, Ahmed Alam, M. Shair, Abuzar Umrao, Pervaiz Iqbal, Arif Bhopali, Khalid Paracha and KHA officials Gulfraz Ahmed, Ayjazuddin, Dr Majid were present on the occasion.
The KHA Secretary Haider Hussain said it was an historic day and he is amazed to see such a huge response from the country.
Haider said it was his desire to repay the debt. Now it is over duty to share the burden of parents by providing free sports gear to all the trainees,he added.
Noted Olympians Samiullah, Hanif Khan and Ahmed Alam said they were delighted to see so many players turning up to improve their skills in the camp after a long time.
President Dr Junaid Ali Shah said it’s unbelievable to see such enormous response and desire to learn finer points of the National game.