 "Pakistan's participation in the upcoming Men's Asia Cup in India remains uncertain due to recent tensions between the two neighbours. Image: AFP")
Pakistan’s National Sports Federations (NSF) have been advised against committing themselves to participating in tournaments hosted by India following diplomatic tensions between the two nations in recent months. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has cited “security situation” as the reason behind their latest directive to all national federations across the country.
The decision also comes on the heels of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) expressing concern over sending its senior men’s team to India for the upcoming Asia Cup due to “security concerns”, informing the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) of the same.
As per Dawn, the decision by the PSB was taken during a meeting on Wednesday and made public on Saturday. “In view of the current security situation, no national federation shall make any commitment or agreement regarding participation in sports events in India without prior permission from PSB,” the board was quoted by the newspaper as instructing national federations.
Bangladesh on standby for Asia Cup
With a question mark over Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup that takes place in Rajgir, Bihar from 27 August to 7 September, Bangladesh has been put on standby. Bangladesh Hockey Federation’s general secretary Lt Col (retd) Riazul Hasan confirmed the AHF had reached out to them due to Pakistan’s uncertainty, but are keen on getting a confirmation at the earliest.
“The Asian Hockey Federation sent us a letter on Wednesday, saying that Bangladesh might have an opportunity to participate in the Asia Cup. It also asked whether we want to participate. We replied that we want to play if AHF permits us. We have also requested the AHF to confirm its decision soon so that we can start our preparation. We hope to receive a reply by Monday,” Hasan told The Daily Star.
A question mark also hangs over Pakistan’s participation in the Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup, that is also scheduled to be hosted by India – in Chennai and Madurai – from 28 November to 10 December. Hosts India have been grouped alongside arch-rivals Pakistan in Pool B, with Chile and Switzerland the other teams.
The PHF, meanwhile, faces another headache – that of arranging funds for the 2025-26 FIH Pro League for which it has to cough up $2.5 million for the senior men’s team to participate. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reportedly will be making a final decision on the matter in the near future, with 12 August being set as the deadline for the Pakistani federation to confirm their participation.