After a terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in March 2009, Pakistan has become a no-go zone for foreign sportspersons but things could take a positive turn if efforts to hold international hockey games in the country are successful.

“We are on a project that is aimed at hosting a couple of series involving international teams in Pakistan,” Asif Bajwa, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary, told Arab News. “I can’t give many details but we are confident that international games could take place in Pakistan by February or March next year,” added the former Olympian.

Though Bajwa refused to confirm it, the report suggested that Pakistan is hoping to rope in teams like India and Malaysia for a couple of bilateral series in the first quarter of 2011.

The PHF is also working to finalize an international league it plans to host in Dubai early next year.

“We hope to make good progress on the league by the end of this month,” he said.

The idea is to invite top players from around the world for the league which the PHF plans to stage by next March.

The reason why the PHF is making efforts to line up such assignments for the national team is that it is free of an international assignment at least till next May.

“Most of the teams will be involved in their domestic events over the next four to five months which is why there are no international events till May,” said Bajwa.

Pakistan’s next international assignment will be the 2011 edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be hosted by Malaysia in May.

In addition to exploring the option of hosting international matches on home soil, PHF is also mulling the idea of putting together an African safari for the national team before the Azlan Shah Cup.

Pakistan will be touring Egypt and South Africa if the PHF manages to line up bilateral matches against the two countries.

Meanwhile, national hockey chiefs will decide whether to carry out any changes in the national team management and the selection committee when they will meet in Lahore end of this month.

With an eye on the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Qasim Zia, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president, and the PHF executive board will discuss the idea of bringing about any changes in the team management and the selection committee.

The PHF had appointed the team management and selectors till the Asian Games held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou last month. Pakistan won the Asian Games crown for the first time in 20 years.

There have been reports that the PHF is planning to appoint a new team manager and to bring in a new set of selectors but said that the federation is keeping its options open.

“Nothing has been decided yet,” he said. “We have won a major title after a long wait and are still celebrating that victory which is why other issues are not on our mind right now,” added Bajwa.

However, the PHF secretary confirmed that the issue will be on the table when the PHF Executive Board meets in Lahore in the last week of December.