Pakistan Hockey Super League
| Sport | Field hockey |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Pakistan Hockey Federation |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Headquarters | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Confederation | AHF (Asia) |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| Tournament format | Double Round-robin and Playoffs |
The Pakistan Hockey Super League, or "The Max[1]" also known as PHSL, is a proposed franchise-based field hockey tournament in Pakistan. It is to be organized by the Pakistan Hockey Federation.[2]
History
The National Hockey Championship has served as the premier domestic cup competition of Pakistan since 1948. The concept of a franchise-based hockey league in Pakistan was first proposed during the tenure of Pakistan Hockey Federation president Tariq Kirmani in 2005, although it did not develop into a sustained competition.[3][4][5][6]
In February 2016, the Pakistan Hockey Federation initiated preparations for a domestic hockey league, to be played from October to November 2016, according to then Secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior.[7] An autonomous board for the league was established in 2016. PHF President Khalid Sajjad Khokhar mentioned that the League would be sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), adding that the PHF was in touch with the world hockey governing body to avoid any clash with international events.[8] The league was postponed after the government of Punjab refused to give an NOC to host the event in 2016.
In December 2017, it was announced that the PHSL was given an NOC. The inaugural season was slated to begin in April 2018, but was postponed to July 2018 due to the national team's participation in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the forthcoming month of Ramadan.[9]
It was further pushed back to 12 to 19 January 2019. Around a dozen international players (from Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, France, and Argentina) were expected to play, with all matches taking place in Lahore.[10] Six were proposed for Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Quetta.[11][12] However, due to a lack of funds, the tournament was postponed to 15 to 25 March 2019.[13][14]
On 11 January 2022, the Pakistan Hockey Federation announced that the inaugural edition of the PHSL would take place in 2022.[15] However the league ultimately failed to launch.[6]
In 2026, the Pakistan Hockey Federation announced plans to launch a separate PTCL-sponsored National Hockey League as part of wider reforms.[16][17][18][19][20]
See also
References
- ^ Sports, A. (2022-06-30). "PHF announces to hold the first-ever Hockey league 'The Max'". ASports.tv. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "Pakistan launching Pro Hockey League in November". The News Tribe. 9 February 2016. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Pakistan's Super Hockey League Doomed to End as Super Flop?". Arab News. 2005-08-12. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ Yaqoob, Mohammad (2006-09-07). "PHF continues to oblige favourites: Nominations for FIH committees". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ "We have to make hockey visible: Khalid Khokhar | Sports | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ a b Farooqi, Ibrahim (2023-01-15). "Pakistan hockey needs dedicated administrators: Samiullah". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ "Moving forward: Pakistan set to launch pro hockey league in November". Dawn. 8 February 2016.
- ^ Webmaster (28 March 2016). "PHF wooing foreign players for pro hockey league". Daily Pakistan Observer.
- ^ "Pakistan Hockey League may be moved to July, 2018". Dunya News.
- ^ "Around a dozen foreign players roped in for PSHL". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "Pakistan Hockey League teams' probable names revealed". The Express Tribune. 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "PSHL set to enthrall fans late next month". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "PHF delays Pakistan Hockey Super League once again". The Nation. 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ PakistanToday. "Pakistan Hockey Super League postponed once again | Pakistan Today". Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "International Hockey Federation". International Year Book and Statesmen's Who's Who. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ Rizwan (2026-03-03). "PHF Ad Hoc Committee unveils its roadmap". www.thenews.pk. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ "PHF launches sweeping reform agenda to revive Pakistan hockey". The Nation. 2026-03-03. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ "PHF unveils revolutionary strategic reform agenda to revive national game". 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ Abbasi, Kashif (2026-03-03). "Hasan, Islahuddin confident of hockey revival under ad hoc setup". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ^ Desk, Sports (2026-03-02). "PHF unveils reform plan to restore national glory". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)