Asian Olympic body calls for postponement of Champions' Trophy

Kunal Pradhan

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is trying to postpone this November's Champions' Trophy hockey tournament to avoid a clash with the Afro-Asian Games, a top Indian sports official said on Sunday.

The first Afro-Asian Games are to be held in New Delhi from November 3-11 while the six-nation Champions' Trophy, one of the world's premier hockey tournaments, is set to be staged in Pakistan at the same time.

"Efforts are on. The OCA president, Sheikh Ahmed, is helping us persuade the hockey federation to postpone the Champions' Trophy," Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), told reporters.

"Ahmed has already written to Pakistan's ruler General Musharraf for support," he said.

Kalmadi said he was confident the tournament would be pushed back a week if Pakistan asked this of the international hockey federation.

"They (Pakistan) are the host nation and, if they request the hockey federation, they should agree," he said.

The clash of dates has raised doubts about the participation of Pakistan and South Korea, both Asian hockey powerhouses, in the Afro-Asian Games.

The Games will include athletics, boxing, field hockey, shooting, soccer, swimming, tennis and weightlifting.

Athletes from China, Japan, Korea, Nigeria and Kenya are expected to take part.

The Games, however, have been plagued by problems from the outset.

A week before India cleared the Games on April 23, the government announced that some events would have to be postponed because of "ego clashes" among officials.

India set up an executive committee and an organising committee on Sunday in a race against time to complete preparations for the Games which have been hit by delays in getting facilities ready, poor financial returns and low-key competitions.

But several stadiums in New Delhi, left neglected for years, need extensive repairs.

"The Sports Ministry has assured us all the infrastructure will be in place by September 31. We are confident on that count," Kalmadi said on Sunday.

The Games will also clash with the year-end ATP World Doubles tennis tournament, which is to be held in Bangalore in early November.

Indian authorities have been seeking a postponement of that tournament as well, but a final decision will only be made by the ATP next month during Wimbledon.

"Vijay Amritraj is our ambassador and is speaking to the ATP during the French Open in Paris right now," Kalmadi said.

"I have been informed they (the ATP) are looking for fresh dates and, in my understanding,