Mardan, Peshawar Secure Win In PM Youth Talent Hunt Women Hockey League

Spirited Mardan and strong Peshawar recorded opening day victory in the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Youth Women Talent Hunt Hockey League which got underway here at Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex on Wednesday

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jan, 2023 ) :Spirited Mardan and strong Peshawar recorded opening day victory in the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Youth Women Talent Hunt Hockey League which got underway here at Abdul Wali Khan sports Complex on Wednesday.

Former national athlete Mariyyah Samin, Deputy Director Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University formally inaugurated the Championship with representative and Assistant Project Manager Higher education Commissioner (HEC) Iftikhar Alam. Teams from Bannu, Mardan, Peshawar, Swat and Hazara are taking part in the event which will continue till January 10.

In the opening match, Mardan defeated Hazara by 3-0 in which Nida, Mehaq and Asma scored one goal each in the 45th, 59th and 66th minute on the field attempt. Both Mardan and Hazara tied the tally till the end of the first two quarters but these were the two last quarters in which Mardan kept up the pressure and scored three goals.

Hazara team members played well but their front line missed some sure goals and thus giving opportunities to the Mardan team to strike back. The Hazara goal-keeper Muqadas was the pick of the pack who saved some sure goal chances. Muqadas Jadoon was also declared as the best player of the match.

In the second match, Peshawar defeated Swat by 2-0, Momina and Malika scored one goal each against Swat. The Swat team tried their hardest to level the match but failed and thus Peshawar won the match by 2-0. Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Ali supervised the match while Qazi Najum and Kaleem Ullah acted as field judges.

Earlier, the two-day Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Youth Talent Hunt Program Girls' Hockey training and coaching camp under qualified coaches concluded at the same venue of the Astro-Turf of the Abdul Wali Sports Complex, Charsadda.

A total of 125 selected girls players from Hazara, Malakand, Mardan, Bannu and Peshawar Division attended the camp.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Sports, Youth, Culture and Political Affairs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Engr Amir Muqam, Directorate General Sports Higher Education Commission (HEC), Directorate Sports Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Vice Chancellor Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) Professor Dr. Shafia Ahmad, Deputy Director Sports SBBWU Mariyyah Samin and Assistant Miss Nousheen, Salma Faiz supervising the Hockey League.

The training and coaching hockey camp is attended by 125 hockey players who are selected in the first phase under the program at the regional level from Bannu, Peshawar, Swat, Mardan, Hazara and Charsadda.

Talking to the media, the Coordinator for Women Hockey, Mariyyah Samin said that all arrangements have been made and the girls players were accommodated in Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Hostel. She said after the camp, League Hockey is being played among all five teams and the best players out of the league would be selected for the National Hockey League. The two national selectors from Karachi and Lahore are also coming to select 36 for 18 members each team who would represent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National Hockey League.

She said the best teams from different zones are participating in the National League. The aim of which is to prepare the best hockey teams of Pakistan who will represent the country not only at the national but also at the international level in the future.