PHF pays rich tributes to late Brig Atif

LAHORE - The Pakistan Hockey Federation under its president Qasim Zia and secretary Asif Bajwa paid rich tributes to country's hockey legend Brig (r) Manzoor Hussain Atif during a memorial ceremony held here at the National Hockey Stadium on Saturday. The PHF specially organized the reverence to pay homage to one of the country's well-known hockey personalities. Atif breathed his last on December 8 at Army hospital Islamabad. Everybody of the city who is anybody in the hockey was present on the occasion to pay his respect to the legend. Verses from Holy Quram were read out by all the present during the memoriam. "Its not only the loss of Pakistan hockey but a setback for the world hockey," said Qasim Zia. "His work for the game will be remembered for long. He was not only a pure administrator but also a very polite and humble person," said the PHF president. "We have lost a person who has served the game with a cause. He carried an experience of a lifetime which cannot be matched. May God Almighty rest his sole in peace," said Zia. Bajwa also highlighted the achievements of Brig Atif, who was recently taken in the PHF as advisor. "He was the mastermind behind the launching of the Champions Trophy Hockey. Event the International Olympics Committee bestowed upon him with Order of Merit," he said and added that there might be any work in the field of hockey, which he did not do. "We would follow his footsteps for the progress and development of the game in the country," he added. Bajwa also announced the holding of an All Pakistan tournament in his memory and one of the 11 academies would be named after Brig Atif. Prominent personalities present on the occasion were former Olympian Munir Dar, Khawaja Mohammad Aslam, Col (r) Zafari, Khawaja Zakauddin, Tariq Aziz, Ajkhtar-ul-Islam, Gulraiz Akhtar, Aslam Rudi, Khawaja Junaid, Rana Mujahid, Danish Kaleem, Mansoor Ahmed, Shahbaz Junior, umpire Rashid Butt, Zulfiqar Haider, Pervaiz Bandara. Bajwas said that another reference in memory of Brig Atif will be held on December 15 at 3pm at Rawalpndi.