World Cup hockey: India to issue visas to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan hockey team will travel to India to take part in the 16-team hockey World Cup, which gets underway in Bhubaneswar from November 28 as the Indian government is set to issue visas to its members.

“The visas will be issued,” an Indian official familiar with the latest developments said on Thursday on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorised to speak to the media.

Two years ago, the Pakistan squad did not get visas to take part in the junior World Cup in Lucknow despite qualifying through their runners-up position in the Junior Asia Cup. They were replaced by Malaysia.

The World Cup organisers in Bhubaneswar also concurred with the official. “We have been told that apparently they have been given an invisible nod,” said Vishal Dev, commissioner-cumsecretary of Odisha’s Sports and Youth Services Department.

“For the security, depending on the inputs from security and intelligence agencies, police has been asked to make necessary arrangements which they will.”

To avoid any unnecessary issues and inconvenience, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had also applied for the visas well in advance.

“There should not be any problem. The international hockey federation (FIH) is also deeply involved in this matter,” said PHF secretary general Shahbaz