Pakistan hockey goes blue ahead of the 2012 Olympics Games to held at London, where hockey matches would be played on blue turfs. The Punjab government, fulfilling its promise of support to the national team’s preparation for the Olympics, has issued the notification for laying a blue astro-turf here at the National Hockey Stadium.
The new surface would be laid at the stadium in four month’s time, which will cost the Punjab government Rs 30 million. According to an official of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, the new surface would have no effect on the speed or any other aspect of the game but would improve visibility for the players and fans. The Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif promised the PHF for his complete support for the team’s preparation for the Olympics during a reception after the team won the Asian Hockey Championship.
The International Hockey Federation came up with the idea before the Olympics after testing the surface in an indoor event where visibility was a problem while playing on a green turf.
