Pakistan Hockey Team Cleared to Compete in Asia Cup and Junior World Cup in India

Pakistan's Participation in Upcoming Hockey Tournaments

The Indian government has approved the participation of the Pakistan hockey team in both the Asia Cup and the Men's Junior World Cup, which are set to take place in India.

The Asia Cup, a crucial qualifying event for the 2026 World Cup, is scheduled for August in Rajgir, Bihar, while the Men's Junior World Cup will occur in November.

Initially, the involvement of the Pakistan team was uncertain due to rising tensions along the border following the recent attack on tourists in Pahalgam.

However, sources from the Sports Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the Pakistan team is now permitted to travel to India for these competitions.

A representative from the Sports Ministry explained that the decision was made because these hockey events are international, and barring any nation could lead to sanctions from the International Olympic Committee, potentially violating the Olympic Charter.

The source emphasized, 'We should not prevent any team from participating in international tournaments. Excluding Pakistan could be interpreted as a breach of the Olympic Charter.'

It was also noted that both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs supported this decision. 'The Sports Ministry can only make such announcements after receiving approval from both ministries,' the official stated.

Interestingly, Hockey India (HI) has indicated that they have not received any official communication from the Sports Ministry regarding this clearance. 'We learned about the decision through media reports and have not been formally notified about Pakistan's participation in these tournaments,' said HI Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh.