Pakistan sports ministry to consider ban on participation in India
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Pakistan may not participate in international competitions in India following the “treatment meted out” to their junior hockey side, according to the country’s sports minister Riaz Pirzada. Pakistan was replaced by Malaysia in the Junior Hockey World Cup currently underway in Lucknow.
Pakistan was dropped from the competition by the international hockey federation (FIH) for failure to confirm participation within the given deadline.
“We are considering taking such a step after the treatment meted out to the Pakistan junior hockey team by the Indian High Commission and the International Hockey Federation which is headed by an Indian,” Pirzada told a news conference.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation said it could not complete formalities on time as the Indian High Commission had delayed the issue of visas for the team.
PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed said the IHC was still in possession of the passports.
“What they did with our hockey team is totally uncalled for and nothing to do with sports,” Pirzada said. “It has caused our hockey lot of harm as the PHF had prepared a strong outfit for the World Cup.”
