The two-match football series between Pakistan and India Under 23 side to be played in England next month has been postponed at the behest of commercial partners, Touchsky Sports.
|Last Updated: Aug 25, 2011, 09:23 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Lahore/New Delhi: In a surprise development, the two-match football series between Pakistan and India Under 23 side to be played in England next month has been postponed at the behest of commercial partners, Touchsky Sports.
In Lahore, Pakistan Football Federation marketing director Sardar Naved said that the two matches to be played on September 3 and 9 in Derby and Glasgow have been postponed after the two football federations got an email from Touchsky Sports on Thursday.
"They have said that the families of the three young Pakistani boys who were killed during the Birmingham riots and in whose memory the first match was to be dedicated had requested the series be postponed," Naved said.
"Touchsky sports have told the Pakistan and Indian bodies that the families have said they can`t attend the match until the 40-days period of mourning is over. The series stands postponed and new dates would be announced later on," Naved said.
"We are in touch with the Indian football federation which is as disappointed and upset as we are at this late postponement. The presidents of the two federations will now decide the next line of action," he said.
The decision of postponement came just hours after PFF announced the captain for the series. Adnan Farooq Ahmed was named the captain of the national team for the two matches.
In New Delhi, a top All India Football Federation official said that the tour is as good as being postponed for a future date though an official announcement will be made later .
"As of now, the tour is as good as postponed. We will make an announcement either tomorrow or day after," the official said.
The Pakistan squad was due to leave for England for the series tomorrow while the Indian side were to leave the country on August 27. The Indian team has been training in New Delhi for the last nearly a week.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.