‘Sports strengthens the bond of friendship’

Touring rugby team captain wants Pakistan-India ties resumed.

LAHORE: With talk of a bilateral cricket series between Pakistan and India on hold, the captain of the touring Delhi Lions Rugby Club, Happy Singh, has reiterated the need of reviving such ties in order to reduce tension between the two countries.

“I think sports is the best way to improve relations between India and Pakistan,” Singh told The Express Tribune. “Winning or losing is a separate thing altogether but the bond of friendship strengthens a lot when we play against each other.

“These tours should happen on a regular basis.”

Singh, however, urged both countries to raise their standards on the rugby field in order to compete with the better sides in the region, starting with a healthy lifestyle and diet plan.

“Japan is the leading Asian team in rugby. We, in the subcontinent, eat oily food which is not suitable. Japan and other countries have boiled food which aides their progress and helps them improve.”

Singh also lauded the support from the crowd which turned up in huge numbers for the event, not expecting to see ‘crowds upto 3,000 for a rugby match and cheering both India and Pakistan’. The Lions’ captain also played down security concerns – the biggest reason behind cricket teams’ reluctance to tour Pakistan – and urged teams to look beyond the fear.

“We play rugby and have strong hearts but I did not see anything that would worry me when it comes to security and the law-and-order situation. Even though we were given adequate security, there was nothing to be worried about.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2012.