Asian Champions Trophy a messenger of peace, says AHF CEO Ikram
Glittering frankincense burner-designed trophy unveiled; Tickets sold out for India-Pakistan match on Oct 20
With an India-Pakistan hockey rivalry set to be played out at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) during the fifth edition of the Asian Champions Trophy, it was apt that Tayyab Ikram, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) chief executive, called the tournament “a messenger of peace.”
“This tournament is a messenger of peace. In such troubled times in the world, with unrest all around, sports has the power to become a powerful medium to bring people together and use it as a platform to compete as equals. I call on all the stakeholders to come on board and use sports as a medium to embrace peace,” he said.
The top AHF official was speaking on Tuesday during the unveiling of the winner's trophy that has been designed in the shape of a frankincense burner to reflect Oman’s hosting of the event that features the best five Asian nations and the hosts.
India is the top-ranked Asian team at No 5 in the FIH rankings. The biennial event also features 2018 Asian Games champion
Japan (FIH rank 16), Asian Games runner-up Malaysia (No 12), two-time winner Pakistan (No 13), South Korea (No 14) and Oman (No 33). The tournament begins on Thursday and will conclude on October 28.
The blockbuster match between the traditional rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be held on October 20 (Saturday, kick-off at 9.10pm) with a chance that the two teams could meet again in the knockout stages.
The trophy was unveiled by
H E Rashad al Hinai, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Sports Affairs, in the presence of Ikram, Talib al Wahaibi, the Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman, and ambassadors of the participating nations.
With no bilateral series between India and Pakistan being played in recent past, Ikram said, “I would love to see India-Pakistan play a bilateral series in Oman but a decision has to be made by the two countries.”
Wahaibi confirmed that the India-Pakistan match has been sold out and he expects the tournament to be a roaring success that will help hockey regain popularity, “as it is the oldest sport to be played in the sultanate”.
With the captains of all the six participating nations present at the ceremony, India captain Manpreet Singh expressed hope that the team could defend the title ahead of its participation in the FIH World Cup in India in
November-December.
“India-Pakistan match is like any other game for us. There is a lot more excitement among the fans but for us, each game is important in this tournament as we prepare for the World Cup,” said Manpreet, who took over the captaincy from P Sreejesh after the Asian Games, where India took the bronze.
Rizwan Sr, skipper of the Pakistan side, echoed the same sentiments that “India-Pakistan matches do evoke a lot more
passion among fans but it is equally important to win other matches. The disappointment of not picking a medal at the Asian Games has hurt us and we would like to bounce back ahead of the World Cup”.
Ikram thanked the Ministry of Sports Affairs for their strong support in hosting the event, which attracts a massive audience globally and showcases the continent's best talent.
“Muscat is a key destination for Asian hockey to promote the
sport in the region. We are happy with the efforts made by OHA and its chief Talib al Wahaibi,” he said.
H E Hinai said, “We are glad to host this tournament. To have the best teams from Asia and in particular, heavyweights like India and Pakistan, compete against each other with other strong nations will hopefully make the game more popular. I think Oman's stature as a sporting destination is certain to get a boost with this tournament.”