Star Pakistan hockey side to tour N.Z.

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 36

Star Pakistan hockey side to tour N.Z.

By

KEVIN TUTTY

One of the star teams of world hockey, the Pakistan junior side, is likely to tour New Zealand in September, said the chairman of the New Zealand Hockey Association, Mr D. L. Coulter, in a report to the management committee this week. The Pakistan junior side beat the full national side. 64. in a recent 10-match series, an indication of its considerable strength. The full national team is the current world champion. While in Singapore as manager of the New Zealand team at the recent anniversary tournament, Mr Coulter had discussions with members of the Pakistan Hockey Federation. A two-week tour including three week-ends, with New Zealand meeting all internal costs, was discussed. Likely dates for the tour are September 15 to 30. The Pakistan federation is also negotiating for the team to make an Australian tour, but the Australian Hockey Association has said it will not meet internal costs. The junior team would be a tremendous attraction, said Mr Coulter. It could play both the New Zealand team and the New Zealand junior team in back-to-back tests on successive week-ends. India expressed interest late last year about a tour of New Zealand later this year, ' but that now seems remote, 1

said Mr Coulter. He believes India is going to Europe about the time it proposed touring New Zealand. A letter from the Northland Hockey Association re- 1 questing the N.Z.H.A. td make a “national and international statement of opposition to the Springbok rugby tour” was discussed in committee. No further statement was made when the open meeting resumed. Mr Coulter will reply to a letter from the chairman of the New Zealand Hockey Umpires’ Association. Mr L 1 M. Gurney, slating the' N. for the manner in which it implemented the experimental rules at the start of the season. Incomplete informationj had not allowed the association to adequately inform’ members of what was re-i quired of them, said Mr Gurney. | “The lack of prior consultation with this association is noted with dismay,” concluded Mr Gurney’s letter. 1 Among the points to be made in the reply to Mr Gurney were that a decision on the introduction of the' rules had to be made promptly, and that the umpires’ association had been officially advised of the rules before the start of the season. The N.Z.H.A. could see no reason why the urn-: pires’ association 'should be consulted before the rule changes were implemented.