Bonhomie before the battle

CHANDIGARH, March 29: The Indo-Pak spring has blossomed, with even cricket coming into its fold. The response by residents to the Punjab ...

CHANDIGARH, March 29: The Indo-Pak spring has blossomed, with even cricket coming into its fold. The response by residents to the Punjab Cricket Association decision to invite Pakistan fans for the India-Pakistan match here on April 1 has been tremendous.

8220;We never expected such good response. We have had offers from nearly 225-250 city residents, wishing to accommodate Pakistani guests in their homes,8221; said MP Pandove, secretary PCA, referring to the request made by the organisers to people. 8220;The best thing is, majority of those don8217;t want to make a single penny from that,8221; he added.

The PCA people are working overtime to make the Pakistanis enjoy their three-day stay here. Around 400-500 beds in hotels have been booked, catering to respective taste and budget. For those not in a position to shell out money, rooms and beds have been booked in dharamshalas in the city and its satellite towns of SAS Nagar and Panchkula.

Among those who have offered voluntary accommodation are Dr GS Kochhar, a keensportslover, and Dronacharya Awardee Desh Prem Azad. Pandove informed that a majority of callers wished to host residents of their own ancestral villages in Pakistan. 8220;We may be two different countries now, but how can I forget my own birth place? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to meet my brethren from across the border,8221; Azad said in a near-choking voice.A special 24-hour counter will start functioning at the PCA Stadium in SAS Nagar from tomorrow for the convenience of the visitors. They are scheduled to reach here on the eve of the match, in a special train that starts from Attari at 3 p.m. and culminates here at 9 p.m. In order to avoid confusion and inconvenience, a special police counter is expected to be set up at Chandigarh Railway Station. 8220;They won8217;t be required to go to the police stations for registration. We have requested the police to have another control room at the stadium itself. The idea is to make their stay here comfortable,8221; Pandove said.

All the Pakistani spectatorswill be seated in one enclosure the PCA Block. 8220;We have a capacity of 5000 people in that block. Of those, we have reserved 4000 seats for the PCA and PCA Club members. The rest will be for the guests,8221; Pandove said.