KARACHI, Aug 24: Pakistan Junior hockey team was invited in Arab Friendship hockey championship to be played in Oman later this year.

Manager Oman hockey team Al Salem Mansoori also senior official of Oman Olympics Committee while talking to the media men at Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) informed, "Pakistan has been invited in the championship along with India, Malaysia and Iran in the Arab Youth Hockey Championship to be held in November."

He informed that this was a under-21 championship and besides Arab teams other hockey nations also participate in the biennial event and added that this was just a second of its kind.

Oman Hockey team is here on a 15 days visit to play hockey matches with different clubs and teams of Pakistan is scheduled to return on Wednesday (today) after playing six matches.

Answering to a query manager Oman national hockey team said that about 7 Arab nations are playing hockey including Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Oman, Algeria and UAE. He said that the head office of Arab Hockey Association is situated at Oman.

He said that hockey was the second leading sport after football in Oman played in 23 clubs and added that they had two Astroturf in Oman and expecting one more by the end of this year.

He said that playing with Pakistan different clubs and departments teams was a good experience for them. Mansoori said that they were keen to play Pakistan in the future also whenever Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) would invite them. He said that they are eager to invite teams from Pakistan to Oman.

He thanked PHF for extending them full support in their tour to Pakistan. Mansoori said that home and away matches would strengthen the relations between the two countries. Mansoori termed their tour to Pakistan very fruitful and said that the environment was excellent and people were friendly in their two weeks stay. -PPI