Punjab, KP Top On Points Table In U16 National Junior Hockey Championship

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Dec, 2020 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-A and Punjab-C are at the top of the points table in the Under-16 Junior National Hockey Championship being played here at Astro-Turf of the Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium on Friday.

In Pool A, Punjab-C played four matches, won two, lost two, scored 13 goals and conceded 03 goals, Punjab-C have 8 points, Punjab-A, Sindh-A recorded four points each and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-B and Azad Kashmir have three points each.

In Pool B, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-A played three matches, won all three, scored 13 goals, and conceded 2 goals, with 9 points. Balochistan-A won two of the five matches, lost two, drew one, scored 6 goals, and conceded 9 goals by taking 8 points. Punjab B won four of the four matches, Islamabad won three of the five matches and Punjab D got one point in three matches.

The condition of the turf, laid down in 2010 under the Prime Minister Turf Laying Schemes well before the commencement of the then 31st National Games, was bad to worse because of dirt and filth causing problems for the players to run with the ball. Most of the surface is slippery as well, which made the task of the players so difficult during the ongoing hockey event part of the U16 Games.

When contacted Director General sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak, he said that a project of replacement has already been approved and soon work on its replacement of the turf at Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium would be started.

It is pertaining to mention here that an enquiry of laying faulty basement under the turf in 2010 was also set up in 2012 by the then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Minister Syed Aqil Shah but no such report was yet to be submitted against the then contractor.

Earlier, in the group matches Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-A defeated Sindh-D by 7-1 in a one-sided affairs. Usman made his second hat-trick by scoring three goals, Saqib, Shoaib, Saad Ullah and Amir Hamza scored one goal each. Inside right, Zeeshan Ali reduced the margin for Sindh-B.

In the second match Punjab-C recorded a 15-0 victory against Balochistan-B. Right winger Abdul Qayyum scored five goals on field attempt. Hamza Faiz, the skipper of the Punjab team scored four goals, Hassan Ali, Muhammad Uzair and Muhammad Ahmad, the full-back scored two goals each to make 15-0 tally.