ISLAMABAD - Poor condition of astro-turf here at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium (NBHS) upset former MNA Hanif Abbasi when he visited the Pakistan hockey team camp at the venue on Monday.
Talking to The Nation, Abbasi, who is termed as godfather of Rawalpindi for constructing a number of international cricket, hockey and football stadiums, basketball courts, swimming pool and women cricket stadium with fold lights at Viqar-un-Nisa Girls College, said: “I am very upset with the poor state of astro-turf. These are our national heroes and hockey is the national game but with such poor facilities, how can we expect from our players to perform extraordinarily against the players of Netherlands, Germany and other top hockey playing nations. Seeing such rash treatment to the national players, it hurts a lot. I will not keep quiet and watch players not getting best facilities.”
He said: “I am working hard on starting work of laying down astro-turf at Shahnaz Sheikh hockey stadium, but tender were twice cancelled. Soon after tender is approved, the work will start soon. We have sufficient amount of funds available and will provide the best available facilities to hockey players. They performed exceptionally despite lack of facilities and without much financial support in the recent events, I am quite sure they will give better results in the upcoming events.”
“The Punjab CM has highly lauded the sports infrastructure of Rawalpindi and given directions to adopt Rawalpindi as model and provide same sporting facilities in the entire province. We will soon lay down international standard football pitch at Municipal Stadium ground,” he added.
About hockey players long-awaited meeting with the prime minister, Abbasi promised to arrange it sooner rather than later. “I will take up this issue to highest level and try my best to provide hockey players everything they want.”
Coach Shahnaz Sheikh thanked Hanif Ababsi for sparing his precious time to visit the training camp. “His presence will certainly boost the players morale. I am sure Ababsi will play an important role to not only provide best facilities to hockey players but also to other sports.”
Shahnaz also lauded the facilities and other things being provided to them at the PSB. “Assistant director hostels Malik Imtiaz Hussain takes very good care of all the players and provides us all the necessary things well in time while DDG Facilities Agha Amjed Ullah has promised us to update the astro-turf soon. I am quite sure Agha and his men will soon update the remaining faults and we will assemble again after rest for last one-week training before departure to Australia for four-nation hockey tournament.”