LAHORE, Feb 25: The Council of Asian Hockey Federation will discuss a proposal of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for introducing 4-Nation Asian hockey tournaments for the revival of Asian style during its meeting on March 8 at Kuala Lumpur.

This was stated Secretary, PHF, Brig Musarratullah Khan, while talking to APP Monday prior to his departure for Malaysia to see the World Cup matches and to attend AHF meeting.

Champions Trophy, World Cup hockey tournament and Junior World Cup are the brainchild of a former President of the PHF, Air Marshal (R) Nur Khan who impressed the International Hockey Federation for his unique ideas for the development of the game.

“Asian style is dying and needs rapid steps for getting fresh breath and efforts from AHF for its further improvement by enlarging the activity plan among Asian countries,” said Musarrat.

He said Asian style was vanishing due to lack of high profile activity among top hockey nations and if 4 or 6-Nation tournaments among, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and other hockey playing countries are introduced,no matter hockey will flourish and Asian style will recapture its glorious past.

“If we have to play a 4-Nation tournament or a similar event we have to look at European countries and presence of a one of two teams from Asia in such a tournament fails to benefit Asian countries which are forced to adopt European style as adaptation by majority of the teams in the tournament,” he said.

He said he was optimistic that AHF will give a due consideration to Pakistan’s request for starting Asian countries tournaments in future.

Prior to the meeting of the Council,the sub committees of the AHF,including,competition, finance, development and coaching, umpiring, media and medical will meet on March 7 to highlight progress achieved in their respective departments.

Another proposal PHF has forwarded to the Asian Body is nomination of its new candidates in the various sub committees.—APP