BHOPAL, 18 March 2005 — Coming on the heels of the ongoing cricket series between India and Pakistan, a hockey series between luminaries of yesteryears from both countries has been planned next month.
The hockey series is another step in the direction of confidence building measures between the two nations. It is also aimed at reviving the sagging popularity of field hockey.
According to reliable sources, the famous hockey players of India and Pakistan during the 1970s and 1980s will participate in the match. The Pakistan team will start their tour on April 6. In all, four matches are to be played in India. The series’ first match will be played April 7 at Amritsar, second match April 9 at Jalandhar, third April 12 in Bhopal and the last match April 14 in New Delhi. The veterans would play a match at Tatya Tope Stadium in Bhopal on April 12. The team will arrive here in the state capital on April 11. The sources said that the money collected from the match would be submitted to the disaster relief fund.
The Indian greats would include players in the caliber of Ajitpal Singh, Ashok Kumar, Zafar Iqbal, Jalaluddin, M. Fernandez, Somaya, Joe Carvalho, Mohammed Shahid, M K Kaushik, Romeo James and Rajinder. Bhopal’s Mohammed Yusuf and Syed Khurshid Ali are also likely to play.
The Pakistan side would include such stalwarts as Islahuddin, Hassan Sardar, Akhtar Rasool, Hanif Khan, Shahbaz Khan, Kaleemullah and Sameeullah brothers, Rashid, Manzoor, Muinuddin and Shafique.
According to former Olympian Jalaluddin Rizvi the objective behind organizing the hockey match is an endeavor to revive hockey in Bhopal, once known to be nursery of the game. Like cricket, this hockey match series will be a milestone in developing confidence-building measures between both the countries, he added.
The guest team will return to their home on April 16. Thereafter, Indian veterans’ hockey team will visit Pakistan to play four matches there. Sources said the first two matches of the series are expected to be organized in Faisalabad and Lahore respectively.
India team: Jalaluddin, Ajitpal Singh, Ashok Kumar, Zafar Iqbal, M Fernandez, Somaya, Joe Carvalho, Mohammed Shahid, M K Kaushik, Mohammad Yusuf, Romeo James, Rajinder and Syed Khurshid Ali.
Pakistan team: Islahuddin, Hanif Khan, Shahbaz Khan, Kaleemullah, Sameeullah, Rashid, Manzoor, Muinuddin, Shafique, Hasan Sardar and Akhtar Rasool.
