LAHORE, July 10 The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has intimated the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) that it will be unable to hold the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy in September this year, due to the senior team's pressing assignments as well as the country's security situation.

PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa said on Friday that he had suggested to the AHF to allocate them new dates for the event after the World Cup next year.

Asif Bajwa, who recently returned home after serving as manager of the Pakistan team in England said that the federation was negotiating with various European and Asian countries to prepare the team for this year's qualifying round of the World Cup.

The PHF had itself suggested the above said event to the AHF. But although the AHF had allowed the event, it had not been able to give any kind of surety about the participation of any of the other teams since that came under the responsibility of the PHF. And now as none of the teams, too, have confirmed their participation for the event, the PHF, in the hope that the country's security situation would eventually improve, thinks it better to ask the AHF to postpone it until next year.

About the tour of England, he said that the Pakistan team played very well there and were also able to test new combinations. However, he said all the senior players, who were not a part of the England tour, would be invited for the qualifiers as the best winning-combination from juniors and seniors would be prepared for the mega event.