Pakistan to feature in 36th IndianOil Surjit Hockey Tournament 2019
Pakistan’s Punjab hockey team will participate in the 36th Surjit Hockey Tournament, slated to be held from 10th -19th October in Jalandhar city of Indian Punjab.
Pakistan’s Punjab hockey team will participate in the 36th Surjit Hockey Tournament, to be played in October in Jalandhar city of Indian Punjab. According to the organisers, the gesture is a peace initiative to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and the ongoing Kartarpur Corridor proceedings.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has given its consent on sending a 22-member team and a coach to participate in the tournament scheduled to be held from October 10-19 in Jalandhar city of Indian Punjab.
"We have requested the concerned authorities to facilitate visas for them,” Iqbal Sandhu, general secretary of Surjit Hockey Society, said.
Sandhu said that the last time a team from Pakistan played in the tournament was four years ago. In fact, in 2013, there was a Pakistani team each in the men’s and women’s sections.
The tournament will be played in two phases. Participants include defending champions Punjab Police, runners-up ONGC, Indian Railways, Indian Oil, Army XI, Punjab National Bank, Air India, Indian Air Force, Punjab & Sind Bank, BSF and CRPF.
"The participation of Punjab's team in the tournament was not a new thing as the Association had been sending its outfit for in it in the past also. "We've been sending our team for this event in the past also. In 2015, our team emerged victorious in it," Secretary Punjab Hockey Association, Asif Naz Khokhar said.
He said that a team from India's Punjab had also been visiting Pakistan frequently and playing friendly matches with Punjab Hockey's team there. "We've very cordial relations with the management of Punjab Indian hockey. We keep on hosting each other's players and entertain them in the best possible way."
