KARACHI, Dec 4: The three-member Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) delegation comprising President Qasim Zia, Secretary Asif Bajwa and member selection committee Rana Mujahid returned on Wednesday night from Los Angeles, USA, after attending the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Congress.

During a short, unscheduled visit to Karachi’s Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) on his way to the airport on Thursday afternoon, Secretary Asif Bajwa said that the trip proved positive and very beneficial for Pakistan hockey.

Condemning the terror attacks in Mumbai, Bajwa said that the hockey federations of Pakistan and India were able to meet and discuss the matter of mutual cooperation between both countries as regards the revival of the Pakistan-India series.

After their meeting with Aslam Sher Khan and Suresh Kalmadi of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), PHF has agreed to send the Pakistan senior team to play in the four-nation tournament in Chandigarh and Jalandhar, featuring Germany and Netherlands, besides hosts India, next month.

“We had also written a letter to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking permission to play in India and, after getting its approval, it was decided that whatever the security situation in our respective countries, we should continue with our sporting endeavors. We also plan to sign a memorandum of understanding [MoU], binding us to hold regular tournaments for the coming four to five years. So we’ll carry on with the game no matter what,” said a resolute Bajwa.

The said event is scheduled for Jan 31 to Feb 9.

The Congress, which saw the coming together of 89 associations — with the inclusion of five new ones in the form of Mongolia, Qatar, Togo, Vanuatu and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s role in the War Against Terror and extended its support to PHF in their efforts to revive hockey.

“On the occasion, while acknowledging our contribution to the world of hockey, Leandro Negre announced that he would be making his first official tour to Pakistan,” informed Bajwa about the new FIH president who took charge from Els van Breda Vriesman after winning the election by a substantial margin last Saturday.

Meanwhile, Bajwa said that the next executive meeting of the FIH Board, to be held around February, will see the forming of different associations and committees and Pakistan can hope to have full representation in all of them.

About the other matters on their agenda, Bajwa said that they got the FIH’s approval for holding an eight-nation tournament in memory of the late former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto.

“The tournament, planned for December next year, will be hosted by the PHF but at a neutral venue,” Bajwa said.

The FIH has also assured of awarding world-level tournaments to Pakistan for which the PHF will be organising the FIH Coaching and Umpiring Clinic in Lahore starting Dec 24.

Meanwhile, speaking to Dawn from Lahore, PHF President Qasim Zia said that he was very satisfied with their visit. “Our meetings with the various federation heads went better than our expectations,” he said.

When asked if they were so disheartened by the security situation here that they were themselves offering to hold the new eight-nation event at a neutral venue, Qasim said: “We would try our best to hold it on Pakistan soil but if conditions persist, we are willing to move it elsewhere for the sake of the game.”