Wait continues...

Pakistan’s withdrawal from the Asia Cup has robbed hockey fans of one of the most thrilling rivalries in the sport.

With India hosting the quadrennial event, Pakistan's participation was always going to be doubtful given the strained relationship between the two nations in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident and the subsequent military conflict.

Though it was reported earlier that Pakistan would not travel to India due to security concerns, the confirmation came on Tuesday with the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) announcing the schedule for the Asia Cup — to be played at Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7 — and Bangladesh replacing Pakistan in the revised Pool B.

With the Asia Cup also being a qualifying tournament for next year's World Cup, it is still unclear whether Pakistan’s withdrawal will cause any complications for India in their plans to host tournaments in the future. It has been reported that Pakistan will not be sending their team for the Junior Men's World Cup, scheduled to be played in Tamil Nadu in November-December, as well for the same reason.

Considering India's growing stature as a monetary powerhouse in world hockey and Pakistan's fall from grace, it is unlikely that the international federation (FIH) or AHF will take any decision against India.

Also, Hockey India (HI) officials have argued vehemently that Pakistan's claims about security concerns are baseless, with the Indian government also saying it would provide visas to the Pakistan players for the tournament.

HI secretary general and AHF vice-president Bhola Nath Singh said that it was “unclear to us” why Pakistan were not participating.

"If they are citing security concerns, I can confidently say that security and all the arrangements in India are much better than in Pakistan," he said.

Pakistan's hockey team has seen a sharp decline over the last three decades. From winning three Olympics gold medals and a record four World Cup titles during its heyday, the team is fighting for survival.

Monetary constraints and administrative infighting has led to the team failing to qualify for three straight Olympic Games and two of the last three World Cup editions.

Their absence from the top level and the non-existence of bilateral series means that India-Pakistan clashes have dwindled to two or three matches in a couple of years, that too mainly in the continental tournaments. When the two teams played each other in the pool stage of the Asian Games in 2023, India defeated Pakistan 10-2. However, the last time they played — in the Asian Champions Trophy last year — India won 2-1, albeit with an experimental side.

Pakistan are currently ranked 15, eight rungs below India. They have, however, seen a small resurgence, finishing second in the Nations League. It earned them an invitation to play in the top-tier Pro League. Pakistan's participation is still not confirmed due to their financial limitations but if they do accept FIH’s invitation, they will be pitted against India in a double leg tie most likely held in India.

In the Asia Cup, Pakistan and India were originally placed in different pools but they would have most likely clashed in the Super4s stage. Even though the two teams are unmatched on paper, these games rarely go as planned. With decades of history between them and emotions always running high, anything is possible in an India-Pakistan game.

For the hockey fan, who rarely gets to watch this rivalry these days, Pakistan's withdrawal would have come as a big disappointment.