Pakistan decide not to send hockey team to India for Junior Hockey World Cup

ISLAMABAD: A much-anticipated decision that Pakistan had to make once has finally been taken tonight, following uncertainty over the national hockey team’s participation in the India-hosted Junior World Cup scheduled from November 28 to December 10 this year.

With the latest announcement issued by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), there remain no doubts anymore as Pakistan’s hockey players will refrain from playing in India in next month’s Junior World Cup.

Earlier in the day, a meeting was conducted here which included high-profile officials. The decision of not sending the national junior hockey team came out as per the meeting’s final minutes.

This decision was made following the unfortunate security threats and India’s hostile approach towards Pakistan in the sports sector — something clearly seen in the three games Salma Agha–captained team played against India XI in the Asia Cup tournament last month.

“The PHF will convey its decision to Hockey India soon,” a PHF official told Daw.com. “The PHF and the government don’t want to compromise on the security of players; therefore, we decided not to send our team.”

Notably, there are no hybrid arrangements that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) may have offered to either of the junior archrival teams. Last month, Pakistan also did not travel to India for the Asia Cup 2025, despite the tournament being a qualifier for next year’s World Cup.