Dubai ruler okays Indo-Pak hockey series

A proposal for staging India-Pakistan hockey series here has been approved by the Dubai ruler’s office even as India’s participation in the event remained uncertain.

The UAE Hockey Committee, with backing from the Cricketers’ Benefit Fund Series, organisers of cricket series in Sharjah, had been trying to host the tournament here in early next year and its efforts got a boost when the ruler’s office conveyed its approval to Major Saeed Al Suweidi, the committee’s general secretary.

The approval means the tournament would be held next February at the Central Ministry Command Stadium though the astroturf hockey pitch is yet to be readied. The event was planned for April-May this year but had to be postponed as the facility was not available.

With a substantial presence of the expatriate population from the Indian sub-continent here, the hockey tournament is expected to see the same success as CBFS cricket series in Sharjah.India did not participate in the Sharjah cricket series this year after the government categorically stated the country will not participate at non-regular venues, including Singapore, Sharjah and Toronto, for three years.

Sports Minister Uma Bharti is on record stating that restrictions on sporting contacts with Pakistan were limited only to cricket and not other disciplines. (PTI)