In a fresh turn of events, the Pakistan hockey team is unlikely to travel to India for the upcoming senior men’s Asia Cup to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29 to September 7.
A Hockey India official, while speaking to a daily, claimed that the Pakistani players refused to travel to India due to tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgham attack.
While the Indian government was willing to provide visas for the Pakistan players, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) decided to opt out of the tournament in Bihar due to security reasons.
“In fact, PHF has written a letter to the Asian Hockey Federation on Wednesday, saying that it won’t be able to compete in the Asia Cup due to security reasons. We have invited Bangladesh now,” the official said.
Pakistan’s Loss Bangladesh’ Gain?
Should Pakistan withdraw from the tournament, the ball lies on Pakistan’s court whether to accept the invitation for the Hockey Asia Cup 2025.
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The tournament serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 World Cup and Bangladesh would like to grab the opportunity.
Pakistan Hockey Team’s Uncertainty Continues
Pakistan’s participation in Hockey Asia Cup 2025 had been shrouded under cloud in the wake of the ongoing tensions between the two nations. The PHF had made it clear that they were wary of the security concerns and even suggesting moving the tournament elsewhere as an option.
This was despite the Indian government’s assurances in early July that no Pakistan team would be stopped from travelling to India.
Indian officials had claimed as late as July-end that the Pakistan team had already applied for visas. However, the Pakistan government had recently ordered that no sports federation would accept the invitation to travel to India without its approval.
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The decision also makes uncertain Pakistan’s participation in the Junior World Cup to be held in Chennai and Madurai in November-December.
This is not the first time that Pakistan will be missing a tournament in India. They had also missed out on the JWC in 2016- which India won- after the Pathankot and Uri terror attacks.
However, Pakistan last visited India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, finishing fifth in the six-team competition.
