Abbasi extends invitation

Security is not an issue anymore I think, said Abbasi,after his team Delhi Wizards 1-0 loss to Chandigarh Comets in a World Series of Hockey match. Pakistan has hosted an international squash tournament. The Chinese hockey team also played a series against us recently in December.

That said,hosting India will be different. It will be the first high-profile series after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. It will also give a message that Pakistan is a safe place to come and play. Hopefully,it will give an assurance to the European teams and Australia. Not just hockey,I think,but Pakistani sport in general will benefit from it.

It will also be the first time in six years that the Indian hockey team will tour Pakistan,and Abbasi believes it couldnt have come at a better time. Purely from hockeys point of view,a competitive series ahead of the Olympics will do a lot of good to both teams, he said.

His own participation in the tournament,however,is in doubt,thanks to his association with the unsanctioned World Series Hockey WSH. But the 28-year-old Abassi is hoping that common sense will prevail. I sincerely hope they will include me in the team. Yes,there are issues,but at the end of the day we arent doing any illegal activity by playing in the WSH. We are playing hockey,and the competition here is top notch. I hope the administrators will realise that.

Distant second

On Wednesdays evidence,however,the competition seemed anything but top notch. And even in that,Abbasis team came a distant second.

The Wizards started on a positive note,fetching a penalty corner in the second minute,but that was the closest they came to scoring all evening. The Chandigarh Comets were erratic initially,struggling with their passes. One particular instance saw Gurjinder Singh attempting a long scoop along the sideline,only to see the ball sailing into the 16th row of the stands.

But the visiting team found their footing soon enough,and were all over the Wizards after the first quarter. By the end of the third quarter,they had 22 penetrations in the circle as against 12 by Delhi. It was not until the dying minutes that they made it count,though. With a little over four minutes to go,Cometss persistence was rewarded with their third penalty corner,and Gurjinder atoned himself by slotting the ball past a flying goalkeeper to put the team ahead.

Knowing the Wizards,one goal against them was enough. They have scored just 11 so far fewest in the tournament. To put it in perspective,Chennais Syed Imran Warsi has scored more goals 12 than the entire Delhi team.

Deepak brace sinks Marines
Mumbai: Deepak Thakur struck twice in the space of six minutes to power Sher-E-Punjab to a 3-2 victory over Mumbai Marines and move into the top position in the league table of the World Series Hockey on Wednesday.

Thakur beat his former India team mate Adrian D8217;Souza,under the Marines bar,twice in the 56th and 62nd minutes to help Punjab register a well-deserved victory.

Thakur8217;s double strike helped Punjab to a 3-1 advantage,after the teams were level 1-1,before Devinder Walmiki8217;s penalty corner strike two minutes from the hooter narrowed the margin of defeat for the Marines.

PTI