Web desk: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has confirmed that it will not send the Pakistan Hockey team to India.
They have written a letter to the International Hockey Federation, which is the governing body for the sport of hockey.
Pakistan Will Not be Sending Hockey Team to India
Yesterday, the Pakistan Hockey Federation finalised its decision not to send its team to India for next month’s Junior World Cup. And now the letter has also been sent.
The next month’s Junior World Cup will be held from November 28 to December 10.
Yesterday’s decision came after a high-profile meeting that was held in the Federal Capital, Islamabad. The meeting discussed the unfortunate security threats and India’s aggressive approach towards Pakistan in the sports sector.
Such a thing could be seen in the Asia Cup 2025, when the Indian captain refused to shake hands with the Pakistani captain.
The Pakistan Cricket team coach, Mike Hesson, also talked about this. He said that the team had been waiting after the game to shake hands, only to discover India was snubbing them.
Security Issues
“The PHF will convey its decision to Hockey India soon,” a PHF official told Dawn.
“The PHF and the government don’t want to compromise on the security of players; therefore, we decided not to send our team,” a PHF official added, according to Dawn.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the international governing body for cricket, has implemented neutral venue arrangements for matches involving Pakistan and India during tournaments hosted in either country.
Pakistan decided to skip the Asia Cup in India last month, even though the event served as a qualifier for next year’s World Cup.
However, hockey’s governing body, the International Hockey Federation (FIH), has not adopted any similar hybrid model.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination discussed the issue of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) elections in a meeting chaired by MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed.
During the meeting, the convener of the sub-committee presented a report on the PHF.
The committee was informed that the federation had agreed to hold club scrutiny and fresh elections.
PHF Secretary Rana Mujahid told the committee that the matter of elections and club scrutiny would be presented to the PHF Executive Committee on November 7, after which a formal announcement would be made.
The committee directed the PHF to form an election commission that includes representatives from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and to conduct the club scrutiny in consultation with the PSB.
