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India-Pakistan hockey ties to be revived

A revival of the India-Pakistan hockey series appears to be on the cards, as per the noises the Pakistan Hockey Federation has been making.

PHF president Akhtar Rasool, now in Milton Keynes for the Junior World Cup hockey tournament and also the FIH (International Hockey Federation) is waiting for the Indian Hockey Federation president, K P S Gill, to arrive before holding talks about the possibility.

Rasool told the media in Milton Keynes that he will have a meeting with Gill to discuss the possibility of reviving hockey ties between the two countries. "Now that the cricket series is being revived, why can't we do the same with hockey?" Rasool demanded. "Both countries need to play each other if we have to improve."

Former players like Islahuddin, who is here watching the tournament, and even junior team manager Samiullah, are confident that the ties will be revived. Islahuddin in fact said the project should be given top priority by the PHF. "There is nothing quite as exciting as watching an India-Pakistan hockey match," Islahuddin said.

PHF officials are of the view that the series, if and when, should not take place in some neutral country, but should be held on the respective home soils. In fact, Dubai, Bangladesh and Malaysia have in the past offered to host India-Pak hockey encounters. And in 1996, the hockey association of England was keen to host a six game series between the two countries, but neither Pakistan nor India showed any interest.

Interestingly, even as talks of a possible revival of India-Pakistan hockey ties is in the air, Germany has come forward requesting to make up a third. German ace Paul Lissek, in a chat with India's national coach Pargat Singh, informed the latter that if India and Pakistan began playing each other and were in the mind to accomodate a third, then Germany would very much like to figure in a triangular competition involving the two Asian giants.