Bilateral Hockey Series: Pakistan team to visit India in April

The Pakistan hockey team will visit India from April 5 as a part of a bilateral hockey series which has been revived after seven years.

This was stated by Secretary, Pakistan Hockey Federation at a news conference here on Monday after his return from Malaysia  to attend  a meeting of Asian Hockey Federation.

He said the series which was last played in year 2006 has been revived to serve the cause of hockey in the region.

In the  frist leg we will  be travelling to India then the  Indian team will visit Pakistan from April 23 for a similar visit ,he said. Bajwa said five matches will be played in India and similar matches in Pakistan.

Pak team wil play matches in Ranchi, Lakh now, New Delhi, Mohali, Jalandhar while the  venues of matches in Pakistan are Faisalabad, Karachi, Sialkot and  Lahore which will  hosting two matches at night.

PHF official said all the details of the series were finalized at meeting with the Indian officials of Hockey India  on the side lines of the AHF meeting.

“It is a very positive break through and we believe with the resumption of this series we will  be able to explore more avenues to play two on regular basis in near future “,he said.

Bajwa said PHF is very delighted that the series has finally been revived and the Indian Government has granted  permission to its  team to travel to Pakistan.

“ We will announcing the final dates  of the matches in a few days time after consulting our media partners in both  the countries “,he said.

He said they will hosting two matches at Lahore under lights for the entertainment of fans to watch the  game in their leisure time.  Bajwa sounded confident when asked about the success  of this series. “ It is going  to be a very interesting hockey event which has been long awaited in both the countries and  with such a series  we will be able to further add to our  good hockey relations with India.” ,he maintained.

He said the  AHF meeting made various amendments in its  constitution in line with the constitution of international hockey federation. It is proposed in the amendments that no individual above the age  of 70 years can contest for any post in AFH and there is restriction of contesting for a office for a third successive term.

He said Pakistan’s youthful player Mohammad Rizwan has  been declared the best youth player of the AHF which has praised the  hockey structure in Pakistan  based on its  academies. “ It is a role model concept for  the hockey developing nations “,said Bajwa.