Pakistan Cup 9-A Side Hockey Tournament From Aug 7

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published August 03, 2016 | 09:14 PM

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd August, 2016) : Pakistan Cup 9-A Side Hockey Tournament organized by the Pakistan Hockey Federation will start from August 7 in Karachi. All the matches will be played at the Abdul Sattar Hockey Stadium with most of the games scheduled in night under floodlights, says a PHF release issued here Wednesday.

The teams include country's top departmental sides comprising PIA, WAPDA, SSGC, National Bank of Pakistan and Customs. A sixth team has also been added by the name of PHF development squad.

The side comprises of highly promising youngsters who are on the fringes of national senior and junior sides. The 9-A-Side matches would be of two halves of 20 minute duration each with a five minute interval.

The goal posts are put wider. The penalty corners are three vs four i.e. goal keeper and two defenders defend against four attackers including the injector and pusher.

The long corner's format is also different.

There are five defenders (including goal keeper) in the goal. While five attackers charge from the 23 metre line. Hence exciting and attacking hockey at a fast pace would be witnessed with less stoppages.

Each goal is to be rewarded with a cash prize of five thousand rupees. A wonderful entertainment awaits people of Karachi. The tournament will be played as a single league followed by the final between the top two teams on August 13.

On August 14, there will be prize distribution as well as a musical concert. On the opening day, President PHF, Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar would be the chief guest and the official ceremony for the change of name of the stadium, from Hockey Club of Pakistan to Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium, would also be held.