The India vs Pakistan match entitled “Clash of the Titans” and scheduled to take place on September 3 in Derby has been postponed. TouchSky Sports announced on Monday that the match would be hosted in memory of three young men – Haroon Jahan, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir – who lost their lives during the recent riots in Birmingham.

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An offical press release by organisers TouchSky Sports reads as follows:

For the past nine months TouchSky Sports have been planning this historical FIFA fixture, India vs. Pakistan, two nations better known for their cricket than their football, and this will be the first time that these two nations have met on English soil, a fixture that will bring these two communities together.

As a company TouchSky Sports aims to stimulate and provide exposure for this growing football region and provide their UK based fans and respective communities with access to their national team.

As a company we were struck by how the nation has rallied behind the families and the community that have endured this sad loss, and as such we have dedicated this match to their memory, pledging all profits from the match to a foundation, if one is set-up in the future and administered by the families or a charity of their choice. And at this point we would like to STRESS that this is NOT a fundraising event.

When we met with Tariq Jahaan and Qoodas last Sunday, we were overwhelmed by the love, affection and support they showed for our event despite having endured such a tragic loss.

After getting to know the families over the course of the week, as well as understanding the families personal situations and the Islamic faith, we as a company feel we have a social and moral responsibility to postpone the match and allow the families the time and space to grieve. The Islamic faith calls for a 40 day mourning period, which we whole heartedly respect.

Our stakeholders and shareholders are sympathetic to our position and we have commenced the process of rescheduling in accordance with the FIFA calendar, with a new date to be announced in due course.