India’s sports officials on Sunday urged their government to persuade Pakistan to send its hockey team to the Afro-Asian Games in New Delhi later this year.
An India-Pakistan clash in hockey was expected to be one of the highlights of the November 3-11 Games that are billed to feature the best from Asia and Africa in eight disciplines.
But Pakistan have declined to take part in the hockey event since it is due to host the elite Champions Trophy tournament in Lahore on the same dates.
Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi on Sunday requested sports minister Uma Bharti to take up the matter with Pakistan’s chief executive General Pervez Musharraf when he visits India at the end of June or July for a summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
“I urge the government to request Pakistan to postpone the Champions Trophy by a week so that their hockey team can take part in the Afro-Asian Games,” Kalmadi told reports here.
Bharti, who was present at the press conference, promised to inform Vajpayee of the IOA’s request, but refused to speculate on the outcome.
“It is up to our Prime Minister to speak to General Musharraf about the Games,” she said.
The Champions Trophy dates were finalised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) a year back, before the schedule of the Afro-Asian Games was drawn up.
India’s only hope of roping in Pakistan for the Games rests on the Pakistani hockey officials requesting a change of dates of the Champions Trophy at a FIH meeting in Brussels in July.