JALANDHAR, May 10: Former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh made an impassioned plea for resumption of hockey ties with Pakistan saying it was just what was needed for giving the game a fillip in the sub-continent.

Urging the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to take up the issue with the central government, Pargat Singh said, hockey had suffered a lot in the Indian sub-continent due to “adverse” relations between the two neighbouring countries but the time was now ripe to break the ice.

“In fact, artistic hockey is only being played in these two countries and it is need of the hour to save artistic hockey by resumption of bilateral ties,” he told reporters here.

While agreeing with the of minister Vikram Verma that resumption of sporting ties was subject to progress on diplomatic front, Pargat Singh said “we really miss watching two hockey playing countries joining the battle on the fields.—PPI