The Flying Dutch Hockey team on Wednesday defeated the young guns of the Dar Academy in a tightly-contested second match of the three-match series here at the Johar Hockey Stadium. The Dar Academy which was leading the game at half time 2-1 lost the match 4-5 after the completion of the regulation time. The Flying Dutch Hockey team is visiting Lahore on the invitation of the Dar Hockey Academy and with the support of the Sports Board Punjab, which is following the vision of the Punjab government in holding national and international sports events.
Mian Hamza Shahbaz, MNA and former chairman SBP was the chief guest of the hockey match and presented souvenirs to the visiting teams lased with five Olympians and international Dutch hockey players. Usman Anwar, Director General Sports and Youth Affairs was also present on the occasion along with former international Pakistan hockey players and Olympians like Khawaja Zakauddin, Danish Kaleem, Tauqir Dar, who is also president of the Dar Academy were also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Hamza said that the Punjab government not only held international sports activity in the province but also displayed to the world that the country is safe for holding any international tournament. “By holding the Punjab International Sports Festival we have given the soft image of the country and the world has now realised that Pakistan is safe to host any international team,” he said. “We have not only established 11 world records but also showed to the world more than 2.5 million people took part in the Punjab Youth Festival,” he maintained.
He further said that even though he is not the chairman of the SBP but the Punjab government has shown to the world that the Pakistan people have immense talent and are not less than anybody in the world.
Although Dutch took lead in the early minutes of the match through Wanter Van Pelt but Umair leveled the score in a brilliant field move. Later Dar Academy’s Manssor provided lead to his team in also a field attack and that 2-1 score remained intact till the breather. Later in the second half Dutch veterans added four more goals through Van Pelt, hit in his second and the teams third goal, Gys Wetering, added two goals and Mark Kleysen scored one to ensure win for the Flying Dutch team.
The visiting Holland Veterans will played their third match of the series against Pakistan veterans here at the Johar Hockey Stadium on Friday (December 7) and SBP is holding this matfch as part of its International Sports Festival activity.
Expressing his surprise on the progress of the Dar Academy team players, Dutch team manager Bob said that he has seen these youngsters playing in Holland a year ago and they have improved their game a lot. He also expressed his surprise over the wrong impression being spread about Pakistan regarding insecurity and praised the treatment they were given thus far during their stay in Pakistan. The Dutch veterans apart from playing hockey are also visiting historic and places of interest like Wagha Border, Lahore Fort, Badshahi Masjid etc. and as a good will guesture they have also brought 200 hockey playing kits for the Pakistan youngsters.
