Pakistan Awaiting Government Clearance For Asia Cup, Junior Hockey World Cup

Last Updated:July 03, 2025, 23:26 IST

Pakistan Sports Board and Hockey Federation await government clearance for Asia Cup and Junior World Cup in India. Indian officials confirmed no restrictions on participation.

(Credit: AFP)

Senior officials from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) have confirmed that they are still awaiting official clearance from the government to participate in two major international hockey tournaments scheduled to be held in India later this year.

A source from India’s Ministry of Sports stated on Thursday that Pakistan’s teams would not face any restrictions from the Indian side in competing at next month’s Asia Cup or the Junior World Cup later this year. The official emphasized that barring participation in multilateral events would contravene the Olympic Charter.

The Asia Cup is set to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7, while the Junior World Cup will take place in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10.

PHF Still Awaiting Response

PHF Secretary General Rana Mujahid said the federation had submitted an official request to the PSB for clearance to send teams across the border.

“But the PSB has forwarded the official query to the concerned ministries and they are yet to respond," he explained.

Decision Pending with Federal Ministries

PSB spokesperson Khurrum Shahzad also confirmed that no final decision has been communicated.

“Participation as of now remains unconfirmed until the government conveys its policy on sending sports teams to India for any event," he said.

Shahzad added that the PSB had forwarded the PHF’s request to the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, which subsequently referred the matter to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A final decision from those departments is still pending.

(with PTI inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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