July 18, 2008	Friday	Rajab 14, 1429

KARACHI, July 17: Pakistan on Thursday urged the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to review their policy about the number of teams’ qualification for next year’s 9th Men’s Junior World Cup Hockey, to be staged jointly in Malaysia and Singapore.

The plea came from Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation, Asif Bajwa.

Earlier, the FIH had announced that the top six teams from the Men’s Junior Asia Cup Hockey at Hyderabad, India would qualify for the World Cup. However, since four teams pulled out among the twelve participants, the FIH announced that in view of reduced number of teams they would decide the number of qualifiers from the ongoing Junior Asia Cup.

The two finalists Korea and India are certain to qualify along with two host nations Malaysia and Singapore but the fate of the other two — Pakistan and Japan — hangs in balance till the final decision will be taken at the FIH meeting during the Olympic Games in Beijing next month.

“No doubt it’s a big blow for Pakistan hockey,” said Asif, “but as far as Asian hockey is concerned Pakistan, if it fails to make to the World Cup, will serve a big blow to this region where hockey is already struggling. Already India’s ouster from the Olympic hockey has pushed the hockey downward in this region and if Pakistan doesn’t make it to this Junior World Cup, hockey will suffer immeasurably at international level.”

“Therefore, I would like to ask the FIH to take stock of the situation and increase the number of qualifiers from this Junior Asia Cup,” he concluded.