“We’re very keen to play hockey in order to avoid complacency as well in the wake of our Asian Games triumph ahead of the Olympics which would help our qualification for the World Cup,” PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa told The Express Tribune. “We’re in contact with Dubai Sports City and a sports management company in Dubai for the bilateral series against India.”
Pakistan and India have toured each other in the past but sporting ties between the two nations suffered in the wake of the Mumbai attack two years ago. Pakistan and India have played each other in the last couple of years – including four times this year – but only in international tournaments organised by the International Hockey Federation or the Asian Hockey Federation.
“I can’t share the dates or the details because playing against India is always a high profile event and we [PHF and Indian Hockey] can’t plan everything ourselves. Both federations have to seek an NOC from their respective governments. That is a lengthy process because there are three ministries [sports, interior and foreign] involved to confer the clearance before playing a bilateral series.”
Pakistan played a two-match series in Doha against Holland earlier this year.
“Apart from Dubai, we have kept three more venues: Doha, Singapore and Malaysia to pursue our plan to play international hockey.”
According to Bajwa, after winning the gold medal in China, unless Pakistan and India resumed their tours, hockey will find it difficult to regain its lost glory in the subcontinent.
“For hockey to regain its lost glory, we have to attract fans and one great way to do that is to have regular Pakistan-India matches.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2010.
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