Netherlands Ambassador in Pakistan Henny da Vries cut a cake to mark 75 years of relations of her country with Pakistan at a ceremony, held here at the National Hockey Stadium.
According to a press release issued here on Saturday, the ambassador also attended the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the SBP Khawaja Junaid Hockey Academy and Almarah Foundation, an orphanage, under which more than 100 children, in the age group of 3 to 9 years, would be imparted hockey training during the next 10 years.
Hockey Olympian Khawaja Junaid, Chairperson Almarah Foundation Sophiya Warraich, and DIG Police Mehboob Aslam Lillah, welcomed the guests at the hockey stadium. Former IGP Punjab Tahir Raza, Olympians Shahbaz Senior, Khalid Bashir, philanthropists and a large number of hockey players and enthusiasts attended the event. Ambassador Henny da Vries said Netherlands and Pakistan enjoyed strong diplomatic relations and she would work to further strengthen bilateral trade and relations.
She said: “I am immensely pleased to visit historic city of Lahore and very happy to find myself among little children, who promise a bright future for the country.” Henny da Vries said sports was a binding force among societies, and it was admirable that young children would be groomed under the eye of great hockey players. The Dutch ambassador also lauded the philanthropic work of Almarah Foundation, which had been taking care of more than 100 orphan children and working to ensure a bright future for them.
