Some 30 hockey players demonstrated their mettle in an exciting sports clinic followed by a hard-fought match. The sport clinic was organised by US Consulate. Among those supporting the young athletes was Islahuddin Siddiqui, captain of Pakistan's 1978 World Champion hockey team. "We are celebrating women's hockey," said US Consul General Brian Heath, "to promote sports as a tool for enhancing people-to-people ties." Although many Pakistani men play hockey - and Pakistan's men's hockey team has won many titles - the game is still growing in popularity among girls.
"We want to encourage more children in Karachi to play hockey and other sports to experience the sense of belonging, teamwork and achievement that comes with it," said Heath. "Sports can play a very important role in a young person's life," said the US consul general. "We also wanted to recognise the major contribution of volunteers like coaches and those who work with youth as they serve as important role models and mentors in their communities."
Islahuddin Hockey Academy generously provided training expertise for the field hockey clinics. Besides Islahuddin Siddiqui, other hockey celebrities participating in the clinic included former members of Pakistan's National Hockey Team and Olympic medallists: Hasan Sardar, Ayaz Mahmood, Sameer Hussain, Safdar Abbas, Qamar Ibrahim, and Kamran Ashraf.
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