ISLAMABAD, Apr 22 : Dutch hockey icon Floris Jan Bovelander is set to arrive in Pakistan next week on a goodwill visit, during which he will conduct a special training clinic at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Islamabad.<\/p>\n
The 59-year-old Bovelander is one of the most celebrated drag flickers in the history of field hockey and a member of the 1990 World Cup-winning Dutch side.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe will hold an exclusive session with young players of the Khawaja Junaid Hockey Academy (KJHA) and different clubs from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium on the evening of April 28,\u201d head of the KJHA Olympian Khawaja Muhammad Junaid told APP on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
According to Junaid, the event will draw a large number of hockey enthusiasts, former Olympians, current national players, sports officials and ambassadors of various countries.<\/p>\n
He said the clinic was part of efforts to revive the golden traditions of Pakistan hockey and expose young players to modern techniques and international expertise.<\/p>\n
He described the visit as a \u201chistoric moment\u201d for Pakistan hockey and added that the initiative was being supported by the Prime Minister\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
\u201cBovelander is not just a hockey legend, he\u2019s an inspiration for generations. His visit is a big boost to our efforts of reviving the glory days of Pakistan hockey,\u201d Junaid said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis clinic will be a great opportunity for our young players to learn from a master of the game. His experience and skills, especially in drag flicks and penalty corners will be invaluable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch international interactions help rebuild our image and establish people-to-people contact through sports diplomacy. It\u2019s not just training; it\u2019s a celebration of hockey,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m thankful to the Embassy of the Netherlands in Islamabad for facilitating Bovelander\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimilarly, I\u2019m grateful to Pakistan Sports Board, particularly; its Director General Yasir Pirzada, who always backs the steps for uplift of the national game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great step towards bridging global hockey communities,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Junaid said that Pakistan\u2019s Netherlands-based former woman footballer Kayanat Bukhari would also be accompanying the Dutch hockey great.<\/p>\n
Bovelander, who has previously worked in development projects in South Asia will also meet top officials of Prime Minister Office and Pakistan Hockey Federation and share insights on grassroots development and infrastructure improvement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Apr 22 : Dutch hockey icon Floris Jan Bovelander is set to arrive in Pakistan next week on a goodwill visit, during which he will conduct a special training clinic at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Islamabad. The 59-year-old Bovelander is one of the […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":121140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-sports-news"],"yoast_head":"\n