Pakistan mulls ban on sports teams’ participation in India

Pakistan’s Sports Minister said that his ministry would soon consult the ministry of foreign affairs, Pakistan Sports Board, Pakistan Olympic Association and seek the advice of the Prime Minister before arriving at a final decision.

The FIH dropped Pakistan from the World Junior Cup which began on Thursday in Lucknow insisting it had failed to send in its confirmation by the given deadline.

Pakistan’s Sports Minister Riaz Pirzada has said that consultations would be held with the relevant government ministries to consider imposing a complete ban on sports team from the country taking part in any event on Indian soil.

“We are considering taking such a step after the treatment meted out to the Pakistan junior hockey team by the Indian High Commission and the International Hockey Federation which is headed by an Indian,” he told the media.

The FIH dropped Pakistan from the World Junior Cup which began on Thursday in Lucknow insisting it had failed to send in its confirmation by the given deadline and Malaysia has replaced the greenshirts. The Pakistan Hockey Federation insists that it could not send confirmation to the FIH until the Indian High Commission had issued visas for the junior team.

The IHC didn’t issue the visas and according to PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmad, they are still holding onto the passports of the players and officials.

“What they did with our hockey team is totally uncalled for and nothing to do with sports,” Pirzada said.

“It has caused our hockey lot of harm as the PHF had prepared a strong outfit for the World Cup,” he added.

Pirzada said his ministry would soon consult the ministry of foreign affairs, Pakistan Sports Board, Pakistan Olympic Association and if required seek the advice of the Prime Minister before arriving at a final decision.