SYDNEY, Sept 15: Australian captain Brent Livermore on Wednesday said Olympic champions are keen to go to Pakistan for Champions Trophy hockey tournament despite national body's terrorism concerns.

Hockey Australia (HA) has yet to commit national men's team to the six-nation tournament in December with the government advising against non-essential travel to Pakistan. HA chief executive Linden Adamson said yesterday that last week's bombing outside Australian embassy in Jakarta and reports of Australians being kidnapped in Iraq demonstrated Australia was a target for extremists.

Livermore said the team wanted to go to Pakistan, a country he regarded as the "true home of hockey. "I've been to Pakistan four times, and enjoyed great tournaments over there. We get huge support, huge crowds. It's just a real good eye opener. The guys are all willing and really want to go. It's an opportunity to continue the good run."

However, Livermore said the decision was not up to the players. "It's out of our hands. I don't think we'd have a say if we go or not," he said. He was speaking at Sydney welcome home parade for Australian Olympic team, with his team still basking in becoming first Australian men's hockey side to win Olympic gold after 30 years ranked in top four.

Livermore said he would be disappointed if they could not participate in Champions Trophy, an event in which the Kookaburras have won 20 medals since 1978. Defender Liam de Young shared his captain's desire to play in hockey-mad country. "I'd really like to go, hockey's really big over there." -Agencies