 "Pakistan Hockey Federation wants visa guarantee for upcoming Men's Asia Cup in India")
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) wants the continental body to guarantee visas for its contingent to participate in the Asia Cup to be held in India from August 27 to September 7, according to an official in Karachi.
Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, to be held in Rajgir (Bihar), is in serious doubt because of the tensions between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack, and Hockey India (HI) has said it is awaiting a government advisory on the matter.
“It is too early to say anything but we will follow the government’s directive on this issue, which has been the case in the past. We can’t predict anything right now especially after the recent barbaric Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor that India conducted following that,” HI secretary general Bholanath Singh had told PTI.
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A senior PHF official said that the Asia Cup was vital for Pakistan as it is a qualifying tournament for next year’s men’s World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.
“We don’t want to lose the opportunity of going to the World Cup via the Asia Cup,” the official said.
“So we believe, one solution could be moving the event from India or Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) guaranteeing visas for our team,” he added.
The PHF official said there would also be the World Cup qualifying events in early 2026 but the Asia Cup represented a good chance to qualify.
Pakistan didn’t qualify for the last World Cup held in 2023 in India.
Hosts India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Oman and Chinese Taipei are scheduled to participate in the 12th edition of the continental showpiece.
Also Read | Why Pakistan isn't invited for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup despite finishing runners-up last year
In case Pakistan doesn’t get the nod to travel to India, the decision to make the tournament a seven-team affair or bring in a new team to fill the vacant slot, will be entirely in the hands of the Asian Hockey Federation.
“If the government advisory does not give an all clear, then Pakistan won’t travel to India. It all depends on the government position at that time,” a HI source had said.
“It’s very hard to predict right now whether a new team will be added in such a scenario or it will be a seven-team tournament. The Asian Hockey Federation will take a call on this,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The last time a Pakistan hockey team did not compete in a multi-nation event in India was the 2016 Junior World Cup, which took place a few months after a terror attack at the Pathankot air base.
Malaysia had replaced the Pakistani team in that event.
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