“We are launching a new league system to allow the players maximum exposure in putting on their best show in order to get into the national team,” Associate Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali told reporters at the HCP.

“Ten top departmental teams will be battling for the honours and the team finishing at the top after nine league rounds will be declared the winner,” said the championship's technical director Olympian Iftikhar Syed.

“The event is being held under a new setup, a new selection committee, a new management, etc.,” Rana Mujahid said.

He pointed out that the players born after January 1, 1979, are eligible to appear in the nationals. “This was done to allow more opportunities to young players.

However, he said the Pakistan team players representing their respective departments, will also be allowed to take part in the national championship.

When reminded of keeping double standard in this regard, Rana Mujahid said it was it was only done to allow the top seniors players to be part of national hockey.

“Hockey needs support and motivation at this time,” said President Karachi Hockey Association Muhammad Farooq Khan.

The event features 10 teams, namely, reigning champions PIA, NBP, HBL, KESC, Wapda, PQA, Army, SSGC, Navy and PAF.

According to the draws, Army will take on Wapda in the opening match at 1.30pm followed by the PIA and Navy clash at 3.30pm and the NBP-PAF encounter at 5.00pm.

PIA which dominated National Hockey will be bidding for its third successive crown after having won the title in the last two nationals.

Except for Olympic goalkeeper Salman Akbar, all the players who were a part of Pakistan team which finished a disappointing 12th in New Delhi would be seen in action during the event.

Pakistan's drag-flick specialist Sohail Abbas will be leading Wapda while Olympian fullback Zeeshan Ashraf will lead last year's runners-up NBP. The rest of the team comprises Waqas Hasan, Mazhar Abbas (goalkeepers); Mohammad Atiq, Wasif Siddiqui, Mohammad Nawaz (fullbacks); Mohammad Tauseeq, Sibtain Raza, Asim Khan, Kashif Javed, Ali Hasan (halfbacks); Mohammad Taufeeq, Haseem Khan, Tariq Aziz, Akhtar Ali, Naeem Akbar, Ammar Ishrat, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Zubair (forwards); Rehman Khan [manager], M. Anwer Farooqui [assistant manager], Rana Mujahid [coach] (officials).

Meanwhile, HBL also announced its team that includes Imran Shah, Kamran Sharif (goalkeepers); Rana Zubair, Mohammad Khaliq, Mohammad Fareed [vice captain], Adeel Hassain [captain], Ali Azlan Khan, Shahbaz Ali, Shahzad Nasir, Rao Waheed Islam, Khurram Shahzad, Umer Bhutta, Asad Hussain, Rizwan Khan, Abdul Qayyum, Zeeshan Ali, M. Khalid Bhatti and Junaid Hussain.—APP