Asia Cup is not important for Paksitan: PHF

Lahore, Jun 27 (UNI) Justifying Pakistan's decision of skipping the Asia Cup to be held in India in September, PHF secretary Khalid Mahmood said the event was ''unimportant'' for the Green Shirts.

''Teams can pick and choose to participate or skip any event for the reasons suiting them,'' Mahmood told Voice of America (VOA).

''The Asia Cup was not an important event for Pakistan, thus PHF was justified in skipping this event,'' he added.

Pakistan recently refused to take part in the Asia Cup hockey, where top hockey playing nations from across the continent would be taking part.

On a question over doubts on Australia and other teams' participation in Champions Trophy to be held here in December, he said there was no official communication from federations of the respective countries.

''Where teams feel that it is not feasible to participate, they don't and they are justified in this.

''As regards the security issue , the bomb blasts are now a global phenomena. Lahore is as safe or at risk as New York, Amsterdam or Peshawar. Bomb blasts take place every where but we are being made scapegoat,'' he said.

UNI