ISLAMABAD, Nov 28 (APP): International Hockey Federation (FIH) had officially withdrawn Pakistan’s invitation to the Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men and invited the Malaysian junior men’s team to take part in the event.
The Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men, was scheduled to be held in Lucknow, India from December 8 to 18, said a press release issued here.
FIH regretted that Pakistan’s men’s junior team would not be able to take part in this year’s Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup even though they had officially qualified.
FIH’s decision followed considerable discussions with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and requested for confirmation that they had the necessary arrangements in place to be able to participate in the event.
Visas had been applied for after the official deadline and no accommodation was confirmed within the set deadlines. Despite a number of correspondence and reminders, the PHF was not able to show that their team would be able to travel to Lucknow for the event which would begin in only a few days time.
FIH had substantial contractual obligations to its partners to deliver a full number of matches at the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men, Lucknow 2016.
With the event starting in only a few days time, today was the last possibility for FIH to ensure the quality of the event, with a full complement of 16 teams playing in Lucknow.
