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Toronto, July 24: A Toronto-based Pakistani Canadian businessman has offered to sponsor the annual Indo-Pakistan five-match series of One-Day Internationals boosting organizers' hopes of going ahead with the 1999 event which is known as Sahara Cup.

If the offer is accepted, the tournament will be known as ``Bulk 'N Bitz Cricket Cup,'' said an official of DBS Group of companies which agreed to sponsor the popular Toronto event.

The official told Dawn on Saturday that Mr. Bilal Chapti, the President of the DBS Group has formally submitted the offer and the deal is being negotiated with the ``relevant authorities.''

He declined to give more details. Asked to comment on reports that the Sahara officials are no more interested in sponsoring the event, the official said:

``We understand that perhaps they are not sponsoring the cup but only the International Cricket Conference (ICC) or the London-based Trans World International can confirm or deny the report.''

Mr. Bilal Chapti, he said, made the sponsorship offer for the promotion of the game. To another question, he said the Bulk 'N Bits Company is part of Canada's DBS Group Holding Inc.

The Sahara Cup, which has the approval of the ICC, is played here in September every year at the Toronto Cricket, Curling and Skating Club. The two-team event was launched in 1996 with Pakistan winning the inaugural contest by three games to two (3-2).