One appreciable step of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) management is the initiation of central contracts for prominent national players. These performance-based central contracts are awarded to players on the basis of their recent performance and form. Recently, the PHF announced central contracts for 24 national players – 18 seniors and 6 juniors. The players have been divided into three categories for seniors: A, B and C, and one category for the Juniors. These central contracts carry monthly payment of Rs 50,000, 40,000 and 30,000 for A, B and C categories respectively and Rs 15,000 for the juniors. The latest central contracts will be applicable to the players with effect from July 1 till November 30. Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy’s mercurial forward Bilal Qadir is one of the six juniors to be awarded the contract. Hailed by many as a future star of Pakistan hockey, the boy from a small village near Peer Mahal, district Toba Tek Singh, was spotted by the talent scouts of Lahore’s Tanvir Dar HA in 2006. Bilal represented the Punjab Under-14 side and then captained the Punjab Under-15 which won the national title. He scored three goals in the final and was also declared the Player of the Tournament. He first came into the national limelight during the Junior Super Hockey League of 2009. Man of the Match in the final watched by millions across the country. He was picked for junior side for the under 18 Asia Cup in Myanmar in late 2009. Pak Colts won the title and Bilal played a stellar role scoring crucial goals, against India in the pool match and also in the semi final. During the summer of 2010, Bilal captained the Tanvir Dar H.A. team on its tour of Europe. The side won the MOP international tournament in Holland where he was declared the player of the tournament as well. Similar distinctions awaited him in the 2011 National Junior Super League. Bilal captained the winning team, Faisalabad, and was again declared the player of the tournament. In the junior Asia Cup at Singapore, Bilal was tournament’s top scorer with 14 goals. The teenager was twice called to the camp for the selection of senior team this year. Bilal attended the camp for the European tour this July and also that for the first Asian Champions Trophy in September. “I had been playing hockey in my village school since childhood. My elder brother, a soldier who plays hockey for his army unit team, brought me to the academy in 2006. The academy not only provides top class training but also takes care of all our needs. I study in the Model High School, Model Town and live with them in an accommodation rented by Dar HA. All our educational expenses, boarding and lodging are borne by the academy. They cater for everything including sticks, shoes, etc. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult given my humble back ground,” he said.
After the death of the greatest penalty corner goal scorer in Pakistan's hockey history and in the World Hockey during his time,late TANVIR DAR was better than the current penalty goal scorer Sohail Abbass.Actually,it is a comparing apples with oranges if we even think who was better among them.Tanvir Dar academy was Late Munir Dar's idea and his eldest son Tauqir Dar is managing the academy.This academy is producing a lot of talent for Pakistan Junior teams and ultimately these players from Tanvir Dar academy will represent the National team.All the sports bodies in particular PHF shoud financially support Tanvir Dar academy and continue to give opportunity to young players to reach to the next level.Good Luck hockey.
Comments are closed.