India and Pak to resume sporting links in Dubai

It will be a resumption of sorts of of sporting links between India and Pakistan when they participate in the Sixth Rashid International Volleyball Tournament, to be held in Dubai from March 12 to 19.

After keeping the UAE volleyball association, the organiser of the tournament, in the dark for several days, both India and Pakistan have confirmed their participation in the championship.

Four countries--Ukraine, Australia, Lebanon and Tunisia-- had confirmed their participation in the tournament in early January, but India and Pakistan, two most popular teams in the previous editions of the championship, remained non-committal.

However, both teams sent their confirmation, though verbally for the moment, on Sunday night.

''We received calls from Chennai and Pakistan regarding India's and Pakistan's participation and we are told that a confirmation fax would follow from their respective associations in a day or two.

This comes as a great news for the tournament as a whole'', Mr Jasim Ali Rajab of the UAEVA was quoted as saying in Khaleej Times.

It is after quite sometime that both India and Pakistan will be participating in an international tournament.

The two countries are also scheduled to play in the Sharjah Cricket Tournament in April, along with Sri Lanka.

News reports have also suggested that the two countries will participate in a Triangular or Four-Nation Hockey Tournament, planned to be staged in Dubai in April-May.