Gulf Showdown widens
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| Planet Field Hockey |
December 30, 2000
Sportalasia
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NEW DELHI, Dec 30 (Sportalasia): The Indo-Pakistan Gulf hockey showdown has now attracted the interest of cricket organisers.
The test series between the two nations has been described as "money-spinning" and the Sharjah-based Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) is planning a three-nation hockey series March-April next year.
However, the third nation in this series is Bangladesh, while Malaysia have been linked to another two proposed tournaments involving three or four countries in United Arab Emirates and Qatar same period next year.
The CBFS, which organises limited-overs twice a year, is looking for a venue to stage the event.
The planned series such would promote hockey in the Gulf, bearing in mind that the 2006 Asian Games will be held in Doha, Qatar.
Besides encouraging the young to play hockey, the tournament will also create a legion of fans and ensure the hockey stadiums are filled during the Doha Asian Games.
Indian Hockey Federation secretary K Jothikumaran said there was some interest in promoting hockey in the Gulf region because of the Asian Games and that such a series would be ideal promotional tool.
The main reason for the Gulf series is to enable the archrivals to play each other following uncertainty over their hugely popular Test Series.
India and Pakistan played Test series in both countries in 1998 and 1999, but the Indian government's cancellation last month of a planned cricket tour of Pakistan because of political tension over disputed Kashmir forced hockey administrators in both countries to look at a neutral venue.
The Indian government scrapped the cricket tour of Pakistan, saying it would be inappropriate at a time when Islamabad had "unleashed a hostile campaign" against India.
Jothikumaran said both federation officials met in Paris last month during the FIH Congress, and that they accepted to play in a neutral venue in a three or four-nation series.
He said the IHF have submitted a proposal to the government and expect it to be approved.
Pakistan and India will also meet in an 8-Nation meet in Dhaka in March, after which they may square off again in August in the 7-Nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
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