Wagah, Nov 28: A Pakistani hockey team enters India for matches to promote good relations between India and Pakistan. An 18-member Pakistani hockey team arrived in India through the northern Wagah border on Thursday (November 27). Pakistan will be one of the two foreign teams playing in the 13th edition of the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament to be held in New Delhi. Russia is the other foreign country. Shahid Parez Bhandra, chief d'mission, said sporting ties between the hostile neighbours should remain open. "This decision is very very good, the door of sports and culture should never be closed. I have come here before also and I say it again that sporting ties should always remain open," Bhandra told reporters on his arrival.


Ties between arch-rivals India and Pakistan improved in April this year after the Indian Prime Minister extended a hand of friendship to Islamabad and proposed moves to promote social ties between the two countries.


Sporting and transport links were proposed in October with plans for an air service and a regular bus service between New Delhi and Islamabad to improve social ties. The Pakistani hockey team is the first sports delegation from Pakistan after the announcement of a resumption of bilateral sporting ties.


Mohammad Sarewar, Pakistani captain, said he was hopeful of his team's win in the tournament.

"We have come here to play the Lal Bahadur Shastri tournament, we will play well and hope that we will win the tournament as well," said Sarewar.


India defeated Pakistan in the finals of the coveted Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur recently.


Bureau Report