Will Pakistan pull out of Asia Cup hockey tournament in Rajgir?

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The Pakistan hockey team has been withdrawn from the upcoming 12th edition of the Asia Cup hockey tournament to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 August to September 7, according to telecomasia.net.

Pakistan's Interior Ministry has deemed travel to India too risky, following Operation Sindoor, a surgical strike by India on alleged terrorist hideouts in Pakistan in retaliation to the massacre of innocent tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam region.

The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) may have to thus pick Bangladesh to replace Pakistan. Officially, however, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) insists that the team has not yet been pulled out, and that the onus instead lies with the AHF.

Pakistan's non-participation in the Asia Cup could effectively rule them of the qualification race for the 2026 Hockey World Cup to be co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium. It is learnt that Pakistan may also not send their junior team to Chennai for the FIH Junior World Cup in November.

The Pakistan hockey team last toured India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, where they finished in fifth place, with the hosts emerging champions.

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