Islamabad: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided not to send the national junior hockey team to India for the upcoming Junior World Cup, citing security concerns and what it called “biased attitudes” from Indian sports authorities.
The tournament is scheduled to take place in India from November 28 to December 11.
According to Pakistan Hockey Federation officials, the decision was made during a high-level meeting in Islamabad that reviewed security risks and Pakistan’s recent experiences with Indian authorities at international sporting events, including the Asia Cup cricket tournament.
“Pakistan’s officials and the federation are not willing to compromise on players’ security, which is why the decision was made to avoid sending the team to India,” an official said.
PHF Secretary Rana Mujahid confirmed that the federation had formally informed the International Hockey Federation of Pakistan’s withdrawal and had earlier proposed the option of holding its matches at a neutral venue. “Given the current circumstances, playing in India is not appropriate,” he said.
Sources said Pakistan has expressed reservations over the absence of a “hybrid model” similar to the one adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for Pakistan-India fixtures which would allow matches to be played at neutral venues.
Pakistan had also skipped the Asia Hockey Cup in India last month on similar grounds, even though the event served as a qualifying round for the World Cup.
Further developments are expected once the International Hockey Federation responds to Pakistan’s official communication.
