In a surprise development, the organisers of the Pakistan National Games have excluded the national sport hockey from the premier event kick-starting Dec 25.
|Last Updated: Nov 04, 2010, 07:29 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Islamabad :In a surprise development, the organisers of the Pakistan National Games have excluded the national sport hockey from the premier event kick-starting Dec 25.
The Games are scheduled in Peshawar, capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPP) in northwest Pakistan.
The Games will be held after almost two years due to security concerns in KPP. But the province was not ready to forego the right to hold the event.
Other than hockey, 15 other disciplines including football, cycling and wrestling have also been excluded from list announced by the organising committee Thursday, Express TV reported.The exclusion of national game hockey, however, has raised several eyebrows.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Asif Bajwa said the decision is `mind-boggling.`
`Nobody has taken us in confidence. It seems the organisers are not Pakistani because they do not care about the national game,` Bajwa told to reporters.
Reacting to the criticism, National Games chief organiser and KPP sports minister Syed Aqil Shah said the PHF has `no business` to comment on the matter.
`These games belong to the Pakistan Olympic Association and only it can decide what to include and what not. The decision to exclude hockey and other games has been taken in proper consultation with the stakeholders,` said Shah.`The reasons for this change were more because of funding and security constraints. We have assured to provide fool-proof security this time to the participants.`
KPP province has been most affected by terrorism.
The concluding ceremony of the provincial games in Peshawar last year killed two people and injured many others when an explosives laden vehicles exploded at the gate.
Bureau Report
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.