Pakistan Hockey Teams Will Travel To Travel To India For Asia Cup, Junior World Cup
The Pakistan men’s senior and junior hockey teams will be allowed to travel to India for two major international tournaments later this year, a source in the Union Sports Ministry confirmed on Thursday. The decision to grant clearance comes despite heightened political tensions and officially suspended bilateral sporting ties between the two nations.
The government has given the green light for Pakistan’s participation in the men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7, and the Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai, from November 28 to December 10. The clearance, which sources confirm has been approved by the Home and External Affairs ministries, is rooted in India’s commitment to the Olympic Charter for multinational competitions.
“We are not against any team competing in India in a multi-national competition,” the ministry source stated. “If we try to stop Pakistan, it would be seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter. But bilateral is different, and there will be no relaxation on that front.”
This move ensures that India avoids potential sanctions from international sporting bodies, which could impact its ability to host future global events. The Olympic Charter, which governs the Olympic movement, emphasizes sport as a medium for promoting peace and prohibits discrimination. “International sports demands that we cannot back out from competing in multi-national competitions,” the official added, citing the example of Russia and Ukraine competing in the same events despite being at war.
The decision comes in the wake of severely strained relations following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, which killed 26 Indian tourists, and India’s subsequent retaliatory “Operation Sindoor” against terror infrastructure across the border.
Hockey India (HI), the host federation for both tournaments, welcomed the government’s decision. “Our stance from the beginning was that whatever the government decides, we will abide by that,” said Bhola Nath Singh, HI’s secretary general.
However, the clearance does not yet extend to the cricket Asia Cup scheduled for September, where India and Pakistan are in the same group. When asked about this, the ministry source clarified, “The BCCI is yet to reach out to the ministry on this. We will address this query when they approach us.”
