Pak hockey team gets assent to play in India

The Centre has cleared the decks for the Pakistan hockey team to participate in both the Asia Cup and the Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup to be held in India.

The Asia Cup, which is a qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup, is scheduled to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, in August, while the Men’s Junior World Cup is to be held in November.

The participation of the Pakistan team in these tournaments was hanging in the balance amid the border tensions between the two neighbours after the Pahalgam attack on tourists.

However, on Thursday, sources in the Sports Ministry said the Pakistan team could travel to India for both the tournaments.

A Sports Ministry official said the decision was taken as these hockey tournaments were multi-nation events and stopping any country might invoke sanctions from the International Olympic Committee as it might be construed as a violation of the Olympic Charter.

“We should not stop any team from competing in multi-nation tournaments. If we stop Pakistan from participating in these tournaments, it may be seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter,” a source said.

The official confirmed that both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs were in agreement over the decision. “The Sports Ministry can only announce these decisions after getting an all clear from both the ministries,” he said.

Interestingly, Hockey India (HI) has said it has not been told by the Sports Ministry about the clearance. “We have only heard about the decision through mediapersons. We have not been officially informed about the Pakistan team’s participation in both the tournaments,” HI secretary general Bhola Nath Singh told The Tribune.