The 3rd Chief of Army Staff National Inter-Club Hockey Championship 2026, featuring clubs from all parts of Pakistan, concluded a few weeks ago. Though the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had claimed a much bigger number, around 125 clubs from all parts of the country actually participated in the event, which was conducted in three phases: district, regional and national.

​The Bacha Khan Hockey Club of Bannu emerged as the national club champion. It was the first time that a club from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the coveted title. It has been a remarkable journey.

Bannu’s great tradition of hockey started before Partition, as far back as 1935-36, when Bannu’s Waziri Club won the All-India Hockey Tournament in Bhopal. Since Independence, Bannu has been a conveyor belt of top talent for Pakistan.

The achievements of some players from Bannu are a part of the country’s sporting folklore. Bannu’s Abdul Hameed Hamidi was the captain of the Pakistan team that won the country’s first Olympic gold medal (1960) in any sport. His brother Abdul Rasheed Jr was Pakistan’s top scorer among forwards when the national team achieved a grand slam, winning the Olympics (1968), the World Cup (1971) and the Asian Games (1970).

The Bacha Khan Hockey Club of Bannu recently became the first national club champion from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But Bannu’s contribution of talent to Pakistan’s hockey scene is nothing new

The Bacha Khan Hockey Club of Bannu recently became the first national club champion from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But Bannu’s contribution of talent to Pakistan’s hockey scene is nothing new

The two legends were followed by other stars from Bannu. Saeed Khan enjoys a unique distinction as the member of two World Cup winning squads, 1978 and 1982, and the coach of another World Cup winning team, 1994, when Rasheed Jr was the team manager.

Bannu’s Farhat Khan was the pivot of the Pakistan team, which........

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