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    "title": "We want India-Pakistan cricket series: Sports minister Sonowal",
    "lang": "en",
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    "cup_year": "2015",
    "article_type": "General",
    "excerpt": "The government on Sunday said it was in favour of a proposed India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series",
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    "editor1": "<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">Kolkata, May 17 (IANS) The government on Sunday said it was in favour of a proposed India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series that would promote friendship between the neighbouring nations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">&quot;As a sports minister, my main objective is to promote sports. For better friendship and relationship, we want the series to take place,&quot; union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal told media persons on the sidelines of a function here.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">However, he said a lot of issues remain to be addressed before the series could become a reality.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">&quot;There are a lot of issues to be addressed, that&#39;s a different part.&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shahryar Khan recently flew into the city and met his Indian counterpart Jagmohan Dalmiya on the issue.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">Khan later said Pakistan was ready to host the bilateral series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 games in the United Arab Emirates in December.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya has also exuded confidence about the restart of the bilateral engagements, but said the support of the government was a must for the plans to be implemented.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">The two neighbours, whose relations have often turned bitter, played their previous bilateral series in December-January 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">Sonowal also said the government was doing everything to help out the Indian medal prospects ahead of the Rio Olympics next year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span style=\"font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;\">&quot;We&#39;re targeting more and more medals from the Rio Olympics, that&#39;s the prime objective. For this purpose, we&#39;re helping out the best possible medal prospective athletes. We are all supporting, whatever needs to be done we&#39;re all doing.&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n",
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    "alt_img": "Sarbananda Sonowal",
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    "created": "2015-05-18 05:39:00",
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