Rehman Malik offered patron’s role in PHF
Federation upbeat about hockey series against India.
LAHORE:
As Pakistan and India look to resume sporting ties, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has been offered the position of Patron at Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), according to its secretary Asif Bajwa.
Bajwa said that Malik was offered the role since the interior ministry was in the best position to coordinate with India to arrange hockey fixtures between the two countries.
“We’ve offered Malik to be the patron of the federation,” PHF General secretary Asif Bajwa told The Express Tribune from Islamabad. “India and Pakistan don’t have a problem in playing each other but we need to arrange the ties and the ministry is the right channel to go about it.”
Pakistan have looked to resume sports rivalry with India after the cricket World Cup semi-final against them. While cricket has taken a back seat since both countries’ schedules have little room to fit in a bilateral series, PHF has already offered to host India for a three-match series.
“The PHF has conveyed all the modalities in the meeting with Malik and now he will coordinate with the Indian interior ministry.”
The interior ministry added that security, the main concern in arranging the fixtures with India, was going to be fool-proof.
“I have directed the Interior Secretary Qamaruzzaman Chaudhry to ensure the best-possible security,” said Malik and added that he will invite his Indian counterpart, Home Minister Palaniappam Chidambaram, to watch one of the matches in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2011.
As Pakistan and India look to resume sporting ties, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has been offered the position of Patron at Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), according to its secretary Asif Bajwa.
Bajwa said that Malik was offered the role since the interior ministry was in the best position to coordinate with India to arrange hockey fixtures between the two countries.
“We’ve offered Malik to be the patron of the federation,” PHF General secretary Asif Bajwa told The Express Tribune from Islamabad. “India and Pakistan don’t have a problem in playing each other but we need to arrange the ties and the ministry is the right channel to go about it.”
Pakistan have looked to resume sports rivalry with India after the cricket World Cup semi-final against them. While cricket has taken a back seat since both countries’ schedules have little room to fit in a bilateral series, PHF has already offered to host India for a three-match series.
“The PHF has conveyed all the modalities in the meeting with Malik and now he will coordinate with the Indian interior ministry.”
The interior ministry added that security, the main concern in arranging the fixtures with India, was going to be fool-proof.
“I have directed the Interior Secretary Qamaruzzaman Chaudhry to ensure the best-possible security,” said Malik and added that he will invite his Indian counterpart, Home Minister Palaniappam Chidambaram, to watch one of the matches in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2011.