LAHORE, Jan 21: The three-member Punjab Sports Department committee, which was constituted last month, has declared the Astroturf at Lahore’s National Hockey Stadium (NHS) dangerous for the players to play on. They say it falls short of the international standard.

Incidentally, Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) 56th National Hockey Championship started at the very same venue on Wednesday, putting the players’ health at stake.

The 19 teams featuring in the national championship involves as many as 300 players of which several are internationals.

The committee comprises two former hockey Olympians — Khawaja Junaid and Ikhlaq Ahmad — and the chairperson of Punjab Chief Minister’s Task Force on Sports Mrs Niva Usman Umar.

“The three-member committee visited the venue on Wednesday and prepared the report. According to Khawaja Junaid, the Astroturf is not up to international standards and may even damage players’ muscles while causing any muscular or bone disease,” said Niva in an official press release issued on Wednesday evening.

“The ground is bumpy and very dangerous for the players,” the release further states.

It further points out that sub-standard pieces have been stitched on to the Astroturf while it was being repaired last year. But the International Hockey Federation (FIH) will not allow the ground to hold any international tournament due to the shoddy work and sub-standard turf.

“They have also used expired glue which added to the damage as the Astroturf wasn’t fixed to the ground properly.”

Repeated attempts to make contact with PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa and Khawaja Junaid regarding the matter failed.

However, last month at the time of forming the committee, Dawn had been informed by Asif Bajwa that the ground was not really bumpy and only unfit for FIH tournaments. Asif at the time had even declared the surface fit for international matches, though not for FIH tournaments.

It may be mentioned here that the Government of Punjab had granted a sum of Rs100 million to renovate the NHS and replace the Astroturf before the Champions Trophy, which was to be held there in 2006. But the tournament was shifted from Pakistan by the FIH due to the security concerns of various international teams about playing in Pakistan. That was when the Punjab Sports Department spent a major part of the grant on renovating its offices and decided to only repair the Astroturf.