NEW DELHI, Feb 19 Pakistan field hockey officials said on Friday they were satisfied with the security arrangements for the World Cup, which opens in New Delhi later this month.

Two members of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Rana Mujahid and Shahid Bhindara, inspected the Dhyan Chand National Stadium where the 12-nation tournament will be played from Feb 28 to March 13.

Mujahid said the delegation was satisfied with the security arrangements and had visited the hotel where the teams would be staying and would report back to the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

Pakistan are due to meet arch-rivals India in a league match on the first day of the tournament.

Security fears surfaced after a bombing on Saturday at a restaurant in the western Indian city of Pune, which killed 11 people.

A previously unknown Islamist offshoot of a bigger Pakistan-based group claimed responsibility for the attack in a call to an Indian newspaper.

The group, calling itself Lashkar-e-Taiba al-Almi, linked the attack to upcoming peace talks between India and Pakistan, set for February 25.

The Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online news website added to concerns when it said this week it had received a warning from an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group about attacking sports events in India.

Indian home minister P. Chidambaram had on Wednesday vowed to protect “every player” at the World Cup and other events in the wake of the Pune blast.

“We will provide full protection to every player, every coach, every official who participates in the forthcoming hockey World Cup and Commonwealth Games,” Chidambaram said.

Any pull-out or disruption for India would be a major blow as it gears up to host the Commonwealth Games in October, the biggest sporting event on Indian soil since the Asian Games in 1982.

Hockey teams from Australia and England are preparing to fly out to India despite the security concerns, but New Zealand officials have delayed their team's departure until a security update has been received.

Other teams taking part are defending champions Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands, South Korea, South Africa, Spain and Canada.—AFP