JALANDHAR, Punjab: A team from Pakistan will participate in the 36th Surjit Hockey Tournament, to be played in October. The gesture is a peace initiative to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and the ongoing Kartarpur Corridor proceedings, the organisers told Tribuune India.
“The Pakistan Hockey Federation has given its consent on sending a 22-member team and a coach to participate in the tournament scheduled to be held from October 10-19. We have requested the concerned authorities to facilitate visas for them,” the daily quotes Iqbal Sandhu, general secretary of Surjit Hockey Society, a having said.
Sandhu said that the last time a team from Pakistan played in the tournament was six years ago. In fact, in 2013, there was a Pakistani team each in the men’s and women’s sections.
The tournament will be played in two phases. Participants include defending champions Punjab Police, runners-up ONGC, Indian Railways, Indian Oil, Army XI, Punjab National Bank, Air India, Indian Air Force, Punjab & Sind Bank, BSF and CRPF.
