24 April 2004	Saturday	03 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, April 23: Malaysia snubbed ongoing Junior Asia Cup hockey organizers on Friday, objecting and refraining them from pasting an advertisement inside backboard.

Malaysia team manager Arrifin Mohd Ghani asked the field jury to take cognizance of organizers' attempt of pasting a National Bank (NBP) banner inside the backboard - a violation of International Hockey Federation (FIH) rules.

The organizers were trying to paste the advertisement of the bank - the major sponsors of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) - before Malaysia-China match. M.F. Laheer, one of the field jury members, came towards the workers who were trying to paste the ad and stopped them from doing so. The workers withdrew, but only after lot of argument and hesitation.

"They were trying to put the banner inside the backboard which is a clear violation of FIH rules. It could have distracted players' attention while scoring a goal," Ghani told a post-match press conference.

Malaysian manager said it was not the first time that organizers tried to fix an advertisement as they did the same thing before Malaysia-Sri Lanka game on April 20, putting a white PIA banner inside the backboard.