Karachi, Mar. 28 : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided not to host host the Asia Cup hockey tournament citing economic reasons.

The Dubai Sports City has officially announced that it would not be able to host the ten nation tournament, and has conveyed the same to the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

The AHF, following the refusal, has urged the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to hold the championship, which will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2010 World Cup.

The MHF has decided to host the event at a relatively unheard venue, Kuantan, a tourist spot located about 250 kilometers away from capital Kuala Lumpur.

The winner of the Asia Cup would earn an automatic place in 2010 World Cup, while the next four finishers would compete in the world cup qualifiers in November later this year, The Nation reports.

The tournament would be played from May 9 to May 16, with teams like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Oman, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea expected to participate. (ANI)