UAE Sore At India's Refusal

The UAE Hockey Committee has expressed disappointmentover India turning down the invitation to play a hockey series against Pakistanin Dubai early next year.

"Preparations for hosting the series were in fullswing and it is disappointing news for the hockey fans here. We wereenthusiastic about staging the event after we got confirmation from bothPakistan and India. Both asked us to arrange the facilities and get theastro-turf ready and we had taken permission from the rulers' office for theground," said Raza Abidi, coordinator of the committee.

"However, we are still hopeful India willreconsider the matter especially after the talks between Pakistan PresidentPervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee," he said.

Abidi said he would try to convince the Indian HockeyFederation officials to play here and that he had not yet lost hope.

India had rejected the proposal for a hockey seriesagainst Pakistan to be played in Dubai early next year.

"If we can play against each other in eithercountry, why should we go to a neutral venue?", asked IHF president K.P.S.Gill yesterday.

Meanwhile, Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, chairman of theCricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) denied it was their idea to host a hockeyseries in the UAE. "The UAE Hockey Committee was planning to stage theevent and we were only assisting them.We were willing to promote any sport be ithockey or football in whatever way possible but with regard to the hockey serieswe never mooted the idea".

He denied the CBFS had signed any agreement with SMLeisure Sports Management Private Limited regarding the staging of theIndia-Pakistan hockey series in Dubai.

Abidi said the UAE Hockey Committee was going aheadwith a proposal to host an international event to promote the game here. He saidthe committee had approached six nations, India, Malaysia, South Korea,Pakistan, Germany and Australia for the event and were in talks with hockeyofficials in England.

He said if India does not play Pakistan, separatetournaments where India plays three countries and Pakistan  may beorganised though he was hopeful India and Pakistan may agree to play againsteach other by then.

PTI