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Planet Field Hockey

Pakistan is a great hockey nation with historic achievements in field hockey that is why the United Arab Emirates Hockey (UAE) Committee chose Pakistan as destination for their first ever official visit by any UAE official hockey team. This was expressed by Abdul Rahim Baloch , a member of the Executive Council of UAE Hockey Committee, who accompanied the UAE Under 15 hockey team on a week goodwill training tour to Pakistan .

Abdul Rahim Baloch said that in years to come, we intended to promote and project hockey as a national sport in UAE and we are grateful to President PHF Gen. Mohammad Aziz Khan and Secretary PHF Brig. Musarrat Ullah Khan for having agreed to host our team consisting of school boys .

Abdul Rahim Baloch said, " UAE hockey committee had several offers from UK, Germany and India to visit them but the patron in-chief Sheikh Maktoom Bin Hashr Al Maktoom, decided to opt for Pakistan due to the fact that Pakistan was a brotherly Muslin neighboring country having produced great hockey legends and had strong and enviable hockey traditions."

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming and outstanding welcome offered to the UAE hockey team right from landing at Karachi Air port till their departure. Baloch in particular was all praised for Mohammad Shafiq, Director Domestic PHF (South), his associates Gulfaraz Khan, secretary KHA and Mohammad Farooq, manager KESC hockey team, who did their utmost to make the trip most useful and most comfortable.

Abdul Rahim Baloch went on to say that this tour of the UAE U-15 hockey team is start of a new historical chapter in UAE sporting history that will go a long way in promotion and projection of hockey in UAE. He praised Olympian Iftikhar Syed who served as coach of the UAE team and former Pakistan grates Naisr Ali, Waseem Feroz, Mansoor A. Khan and other international players who provided individual and group training to the young lads from UAE . He said that boys felt elated to be amongst the former Pakistani players and it will boost them to carry on hockey when they are back home. He also applauded the role of UAE team coordinator Jaffar Hussain, Assistan coach Safdar Cheema, and lady coach from Australia Lyns for their contribution.

He praised his two months old UAE hockey team fully formed by UAE national players, that lost 3-0, 1-0 and drew a match against the local school teams. The UAE team was given a colorful send off reception on Monday evening for which the secretary PHF Brig. Musarrat Ullah Khan specially flown in from Lahore after attending the hectic PHF council meeting and offered full support to UAE on behalf of President PHF and himself.

He said that our boys had a great learning experience and were touched by the warm and cordial hospitality offered by PHF and Mehran Hotel Karachi who provided free boarding and lodging to the team. We will soon invite a Pakistani school team to play matches in UAE , Abdul Rahim Baloch concluded.

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