‘Joint strategy needed to counter India’

KARACHI: Sports officials have said it is time Pakistan adopted a well-thought out strategy to counter India’s moves.

They say India wants to destroy Pakistan’s sports and isolate it, by blocking its participation in international events.

Pakistan has suffered a lot in various international sports competitions, including cricket, hockey, kabaddi, and table tennis, due to India’s conspiracies.

Sources said that sports federations wanted the government to move against India’s efforts against Pakistan.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is seeking the help of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA).

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already raised voice at ICC against India as it has not been playing bilateral series despite commitments due to which Pakistan has suffered huge financial losses.

This time Indian Hockey Federation (PHF) has done what BCCI has been doing for several years.

It does not want to play against Pakistan in the World Cup 2019. Reports have emerged in a section of press, saying BCCI wanted Pakistan out of its group.

“We will have to consider legal options to secure our position in world hockey,” said PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed.

He told ‘The News’ that PHF had sought IOC’s intervention through POA, seeking to stop injustice with Pakistan as hockey is an Olympic game and FIH is part of IOC.

He said that PHF would also contact other important hockey-playing countries, including Holland, Australia, Germany, England, Spain, Argentina and Belgium. “These countries know the importance of Pakistan in world hockey,” Shahbaz said.

He said that India had realised that Pakistan was trying hard to bounce back in the world of hockey and was about to qualify for the World Cup and Olympics. “They did not give visas to our junior players. Our junior team had quailed for the World Cup. Our next target is to qualify for men’s senior World Cup. That’s why the Indians are doing all this,” he said.

Officials said the government should adopt a proper strategy to give tough response to India, contact world sports governing bodies and inform them about India’s machinations.

They said that heads of several sports federations would contact the ministry of IPC and give them suggestions about how to counter India at international forums.

“There is no doubt that India is doing all this because of its financial muscle in the world of sports, but money is not everything. It is the promotion of sports which should be the objective,” said a sports official. “We will raise this issue at various forums to foil India’s conspiracies,” he added.