Pakistan’s national hockey team will not compete in the upcoming Men’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in India, with Bangladesh poised to take their place in what marks yet another fracture in sporting relations between the nuclear-armed rivals.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has formally declined to send the squad to the tournament scheduled for October 27 to November 5 in the Indian cities of Jalandhar and Mohali, citing what it describes as serious security concerns for players and officials.
According to sources close to the matter, the Asian Hockey Federation is expected to confirm Bangladesh as Pakistan’s replacement on Friday, finalizing a six-team lineup that will proceed without one of Asia’s historic hockey powerhouses.
The breakdown came after Pakistan’s hockey authorities requested that either the entire tournament be relocated to neutral territory or that Pakistan’s fixtures be moved outside India. Hockey India rejected both proposals outright, insisting no changes would be made to the competition’s schedule or venues.
PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani defended the withdrawal, emphasizing that the decision stemmed from the volatile political climate between Islamabad and New Delhi. He stated that safeguarding the wellbeing and dignity of national athletes and team staff remained the federation’s foremost responsibility.
Wani stressed that Pakistan remains committed to international hockey and stands ready to face any opponent, including India, but insisted that sports must be kept separate from political disputes—a principle he suggested was being undermined by current circumstances.
The announcement came just one day after Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann publicly stated that Pakistan was expected to participate in the event. Mann had clarified that India’s policy permits neighboring nations to compete in multinational tournaments, even as bilateral sporting series between the two countries remain frozen.
“There is no problem in multinational tournaments. Maybe individual series between India and Pakistan cannot take place,” Mann said when questioned about clearances for Pakistan’s involvement.
This is not the first time Pakistan has pulled out of a hockey competition in India. Last year, the national junior team withdrew from the Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu, also citing escalating tensions between the two nations.
The Asian Champions Trophy, organized by the Asian Hockey Federation, has traditionally been held annually, though no edition took place last year. India enters as two-time defending champion, having won the 2023 edition in Chennai and successfully defending the title in 2024 in Hulunbuir, China.
The withdrawal represents a significant setback for Pakistan hockey, which has struggled in recent years to regain its former dominance on the Asian and world stage. Missing a major continental tournament deprives the team of crucial competitive experience and ranking points.
For Indian organizers, the absence of Pakistan removes one of the tournament’s biggest potential draws, given the intense public interest that typically surrounds any Pakistan-India sporting encounter.
The episode underscores how deeply political tensions continue to disrupt sporting ties between the two countries, with athletes and fans on both sides bearing the cost of diplomatic deadlock.
