LAHORE - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Rana Mujahid has said that the Indian hockey team has confirmed to visit Pakistan in March-April to play three test matches.
“I had a telephonic conversation with Hockey India president Narinder Batra who has assured that the Indian team will be visiting Pakistan subject to clearance from their Ministries of Sports and External Affairs,” he said on Friday.
“It is a very good gesture shown by the Hockey India and we are confident that with the resumption of bilateral hockey ties between Pak-India, the overall standard of the game will improve in the sub-continent,” he added.
The PHF secretary said that the matches would be played in Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad and there were possibilities that these matches could also be organised at one venue with the mutual understanding between the two hockey federations.
“The PHF has informed Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) for holding the series. The test match series is being played in the light of agreement between the two federations, which was signed in Lahore on December 31, 2012,” he stated.
Rana said that efforts were made in the past as well from the platform of PHF to revive hockey between Pakistan and India on home and away basis and the frequent exchange of hockey ties between both the countries would help in reviving the game in the region.
“The Pak-India matches are always billed as ‘thriller’ as they are full of excitement and millions of people watch them not only in both the countries but also across the globe and it is the in the larger interest of both the countries to resume hockey ties in order give a boost to ongoing efforts for the revival of the game in Pakistan and India which were once the power house of hockey in the world,” Rana concluded.