KARACHI, Sept 12: Pakistan hockey received yet another set back on Wednesday when the International Hockey Federation (FIH) finally shifted the Champions Trophy from Lahore to an undecided venue as expected “due to circumstances beyond its control.”
The decision came after Australia and Spain informed the sport’s international body that they would not participate in the elite six-nation event while Germany, South Korea and the Netherlands didn’t confirm their participation in the Dec 1 to 9 tournament.
“It was an extremely hard decision and one that we took with many regrets for the Pakistan hockey community. During the last few months we tried everything we could to keep the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
“This unfortunately became impossible due to circumstances not related to hockey or sport and completely beyond the control of the FIH and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF),” an FIH press release quoted its president Els van Breda Vriesman as saying.
Apart from the participating countries, the FIH Athletes Commission was informed by several players that they would not play in the tournament while reserve countries England and Japan also declined the invitation.
FIH said that since six out of eight top hockey nations had not expressed their wish to participate in the trophy if it was held in Pakistan, it had no choice but to move the event from Lahore.
It added that decision had been taken considering the safety and security of the participating teams and travel advisories from foreign affairs departments of many of the prospective participants.
Although FIH opted to move the prestigious event from Pakistan, it is yet to decide the alternate venue of the Champions Trophy. But it says that it will decide the new venue in the next few days and in principle it will maintain the same dates of the tournament.
While India has openly offered to host the tournament, Malaysia is also willing to organise it and has even offered free local hospitality to participants during a lobbying campaign at last month’s Good Luck Beijing tournament.
In July, the FIH marketing manager Steven Morris and TV Coordinator Rupert Rumney had also visited Lahore to discuss marketing, sponsorship and television issues.
Although the FIH’s decision was not an unexpected one, Australia’s pull-out is definitely a bit strange since different cricket officials from Down Under recently visited Pakistan and the Australia ‘A’ team is in fact touring Pakistan these days.
The Kookaburras had also skipped the 2004 edition held in Lahore citing security fears as the reason, although other European nations took part.
This is the second time that Pakistan had to forego the privilege of hosting the toughest event in the hockey calendar.
FIH had also shifted the 2001 Champions Trophy from Lahore to Rotterdam following the Sept 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington and an imminent strike by US in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Pakistan has been in the grip of violence since July’s military operation against militants in Lal Masjid. Over 100 people including foreigners have been killed in a recent wave of suicide bombings.
The US has also warned that it might launch strikes inside Pakistan to eliminate Al Qaeda operatives believed to be hiding in northern parts of the country.