KARACHI, Dec 26: The England Hockey Association has agreed, albeit conditionally, to surrender the hosting rights of the 2003 Champions Trophy hockey tournament to Pakistan, sources said Wednesday.

“The EHA has conveyed to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that they are ready to surrender the hosting rights of 2003 Champions Trophy to Pakistan. In lieu, they want the rights to host 2004 Trophy,” sources linked to the EHA told SADA.

Pakistan has demanded that the FIH give it hosting rights of the 25th edition of the tournament initiated in the country in 1978.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation suffered huge financial losses when the FIH shifted the 2001 Champions Trophy from Lahore to Rotterdam in Holland.

European teams had expressed their reservations about touring Pakistan in the wake of the Sep 11 attacks and the insecure regional situation when the US attacked Pakistan’s neighbor Afghanistan in retaliation.

Sources said that the FIH would not give the 2004 event directly to the EHA without a bid as other member countries would challenge the decision.

In spite of this shortcoming, Pakistan’s chances for holding the 2003 tournament are bright as the FIH and the EHA have yet to sign the 2003 plan. The two parties have a February 2002 deadline to sign the hosting rights agreement.

Sources said that the lack of sponsorship in hockey is also a considerable obstacle in EHA’s way to hosting a major hockey event. —SADA