The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has officially announced that Pakistan will not be playing in the upcoming Men’s Asia Cup to be held between August 29 and September 7 in Rajgir, Bihar. In their place, Bangladesh will enter in the tournament. The development comes after increasing political tensions due to the Pahalgam terror attack in April and cross-border incidents in May.
Although Indian authorities had assured that Pakistani players would be granted visas if the team chose to compete, Pakistan opted to withdraw. In a surprise move, Oman has also withdrawn, opening the door for Kazakhstan to enter the eight-country tournament.
Pakistan’s Decision To Withdraw Comes Under Scrutiny
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh raised questions after Pakistan withdrew from the tournament – “Why isn’t Pakistan coming? Why are they not participating? This is not clear to us,” Singh said. He firmly stated that “security and all the arrangements in India are much better than in Pakistan.” as mentioned by Times of India
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Former India hockey captain and Congress MLA Pargat Singh also mentioned – “There is no such issue in India, I don’t think there is any such problem in our country,” he said. He pointed out that Pakistan’s behaviour was disappointing from a sporting perspective.
Host country India is placed in Pool A with Japan, China, and Kazakhstan, while Pool B comprises Malaysia, South Korea (the champions), Bangladesh, and Chinese Taipei.
India’s Group Stage Schedule
vs China – August 29
vs Japan – August 31
vs Kazakhstan – September 1
The top two from each pool will proceed to the Super 4s stage (September 3–6) with the final on September 7. The champion directly qualifies to play at the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.
