Pakistan-India series may be postponed

Hockey bodies await go ahead from governments: PHF official .

KARACHI: Revival of the bilateral hockey series between Pakistan and India may be delayed as federations from the two countries are yet to receive permission from their respective governments, according to a Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) official.  

Both PHF and Hockey India (HI) confirmed the continuation of the series in January, with the first (Pakistan) leg scheduled for the last week of March till the first week of April in Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore.

However, with the series less than a couple of weeks away, both federations seem uncertain about carrying out the plan according to the agreed schedule.

“We haven’t received confirmation from HI,” the PHF official told The Express Tribune.

“We have been told that HI is yet to receive permission from their government. If the situation is not cleared in the next few days, then there are strong chances that the series might get postponed by a few weeks.

“It may also be pushed further due to the World Cup (May 31-June 15) depending on how India plan their preparations for the mega event.”

Tour subject to clearance from authorities

The federations planned the event in light of an agreement between the two governing bodies, which was signed in Lahore on December 31, 2012.

HI though stated that the tour would be subject to clearance from India’s Ministry of Sports and Ministry of External Affairs.

The PHF, on the other hand, also informed the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) about holding the series and are yet to be given approval.

“Things are yet to be cleared on our part as well.”

The traditional rivals have not played a bilateral hockey series since 2006 – three matches in each country – with Pakistan winning three and losing one, while the remaining two were drawn. The sequence was suspended in the aftermaths of the 2008 Mumbai attacks following which, India stalled bilateral sporting relations with Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2014.

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