Women’s hockey is set to get a major boost in Pakistan as the country’s first-ever hockey academy in an educational institution was inaugurated at Viqar-Un-Nissa Post Graduate College for Women Rawalpindi on Thursday.
Member of National Assembly (MNA) Hanif Abbasi, who was the chief guest, inaugurated the academy. Besides others, MNA Daniyal Chaudhry, Olympian Khawaja Junaid, Political Secretary British High Commission Cormic Dreelan, Group Head Allied Bank Faisal Ghauri, Principal Viqar-Un-Nissa College Zahida Parveen attended the inauguration ceremony.
“The ultramodern astroturf turf, which presently costs around Rs 35 million, was imported during the PML-N government’s last tenure, but unfortunately this asset has not been utilized to date. I must appreciate Khawaja Junaid Hockey Academy and Allied Bank for joining hands to make this facility functional for our female athletes. The college has around 6,000 students and I hope it will provide some shining stars for the national women’s hockey team,” he said.
Daniyal Chaudhry on the occasion expressed the hope that the initiative would have a great impact on the students as well as the broader community. “It is heartening to see Khawaja Junaid Academy is nurturing the talent from the grassroots level, ensuring that young girls receive comprehensive training in both the technical and strategic aspects of hockey. I’m sure the success of this academy will pave the way for similar initiatives in other parts of the country”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Junaid said that the academy was aimed at identifying and nurturing budding players to represent Pakistan at the national and international levels. He said the long-term vision for the academy included hosting tournaments, establishing exchange programs with international hockey academies, and producing players who can represent Pakistan at the global level.
“We have provided experienced coaching staff for the academy, while Allied Bank will be providing financial support for the coaching purposes”, he added. Faisal Ghauri in his remarks said Allied Bank was proud to support Khawaja Junaid Academy as it would help promote women’s sports in the country. We believe in empowering our women. The launch of this hockey academy is a commendable initiative. I hope it will promote women’s empowerment and sports development. We are proud to support such fantastic endeavors as we believe this will help nurture talent and create future champions. Principal Viqar-Un-Nissa College said that her institution was known for its strong emphasis on female education and empowerment. I’m grateful to Khawaja Junaid for choosing this ideal institution for the academy. The college’s support for the academy will always be there,” she said.
At the end, some 40 students of the Viqar-Un-Nissa College were given away hockey sticks, while souvenirs were presented to respected guests.
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