ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has lost home advantage to New Zealand for their Davis Cup tennis tie due to security fears in the troubled country, officials said Tuesday. Pakistan was due to host the Asia-Oceania zone second-round tie to be played in July but New Zealand had asked for it to be moved because of security fears.
The Davis Cup committee of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) informed both nations that the Asia-Oceania Group II semi-final will be played in New Zealand from July 9-11 rather than in Pakistan or at a neutral venue. “Due to the existing security concerns that continue to surround the hosting of sporting events in Pakistan, the Davis Cup committee met last week to review the situation, deciding on this occasion to reverse the choice of ground for this tie, resulting in New Zealand now having choice of ground,” the ITF said in a statement. New Zealand had previously written to the ITF expressing its reluctance to play in Pakistan and asking for an alternative venue. Pakistan initially insisted on hosting the match, suggesting New Zealand either travel to play or forfeit, but two suicide bomb blasts in Lahore last Friday, which killed 55 people, led to a softening its stance.
“A lot of our players had expressed concerns and did not want to travel to Pakistan,” Tennis New Zealand operations manger Tracy Hall said in a statement. “Security concerns were an issue going over there so we are glad with the decision to have it hosted in New Zealand.” Tennis New Zealand said it expected to confirm the new venue for the tie next month. Foreign sports teams have shunned Pakistan since an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March last year. A cricket Test series between New Zealand and Pakistan scheduled to be played in Pakistan last year was moved to New Zealand, and a one-day series was played in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan had also been scheduled to host its first-round match against Hong Kong but that was moved to Hong Kong, also for security reasons.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\17\story_17-3-2010_pg2_2
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