Pak hopes to resume India hockey links

LAHORE: Pakistan hopes to resume ties of hockey with the India later this year, an official said Monday, as the links between the two rivals athletes continue to thaw.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation Secretary Asif Bajwa said journalists there is hope of arranging a series against the India earlier in December.
"On the directive of the Prime Minister, Youssouf Raza Gilani, we hope to resume ties of hockey with the India in December of this year or January 2012," he said.

Sporting links between the two neighbours were frozen after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008, which has left 166 dead people and that India blame on militants based in Pakistan.

But the two countries have shown willingness to renew their rivalry on the sports ground, since they met in the semi-final at Mohali in India cricket World Cup last month.

Gilani attended correspondence - which was won by hosts - at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, and they pledged to improve relations.

Councils of cricket in the two countries are in talks to hold a series later this year or early 2012.

Bajwa said that his Federation would seek advice from Government on the hockey tournament.

"We will meet with Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who will guide us on the series and we hope to host the games in Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad, said Bajwa."

Chances of Pakistan of hosting international sports are also related to the improvement of the security situation in the country.

Pakistan has been a virtual "no go" for international sports since the terrorist attacks on the cricket team Sri Lankan bus in Lahore in March 2009.

The country has not hosted international sport events since the terrorist attacks, including eight people left killed and wounded of the seven players Sri Lanka and their assistant coach.