LAHORE   -  Pakistan Wapda honoured its hockey team for winning the National Hockey Championship title by awarding a cash prize of Rs 1 million during a ceremony hosted by Wapda Sports Board here at Wapda House on Monday. 

Chairman Wapda and WSB Patron-in-Chief Lt Gen (r) Muzammil Hussain was the chief guest at the ceremony, who presented the cash award to players and the management. Wapda Member (Finance), Member (Power), Member (Water), MD (Admn)/WSB President, Secretary Wapda and WSB senior officers were also present on the occasion. 

With emphatic win in 66th National Hockey Championship, Wapda now holds the rare honour of being men’s, women’s and junior’s national champion simultaneously. Addressing the ceremony, the Wapda chairman congratulated the hockey team on their brilliant performance in the recently-concluded championship, as the team managed to win the men’s title after nine years. 

“Wapda, as an organization, has been promoting sports in Pakistan by providing facilities to its players and taking measures for their well being,” he said and added: “The lesson for struggle in life can best be learnt from sports, which is a virtue and essential for any country, organization or individual to overcome the challenges. Together with enthusiasm and commitment, we can excel in all walks of life including sports.”

Wapda has been playing a phenomenal role for promotion of sports in Pakistan for the last 60 years. Its players have not only been showing their class at the national level but also bringing laurels to Pakistan in international competitions. At present, Wapda is winner in 35 disciplines (men-19, women-16), and runners-up in 19 games (men-12, women-7) in national championships. Wapda is the biggest employer of sportspersons in Pakistan, as more than 2,200 players and sports officials are associated with various units of the WSB across the country while it has 66 teams – 37 men and 29 women – of different games.