ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s proposed tour of India for next month’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament will depend on government approval, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani said on Monday.
His comments came after Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed that Pakistan would participate in the tournament.
Wani, who also serves as federal secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, said the PHF would follow the government’s decision.
“The visit of the Pakistan team will depend on government clearance. We will do whatever the government asks us to do,” Wani told Dawn.
He added that Mann’s statement would not change the PHF’s position on the matter.
Mann Says Pakistan Will Participate
According to a Press Trust of India report, Mann said Pakistan would be among the six teams competing in the Asian Champions Trophy.
“There is no problem in multi-national tournaments. Maybe individual series [between India and Pakistan] cannot take place,” Mann said at an event in Mohali.
The tournament is scheduled to run from October 27 to November 5.
Hosts India will compete alongside Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea.
Matches to Be Held in Jalandhar and Mohali
The league-stage matches will take place in Jalandhar.
The semi-finals and final are scheduled for Mohali, with the tournament set to open in Jalandhar on October 27.
The proposed India-Pakistan match is scheduled for November 1 in Jalandhar.
Mann said the match could become one of the tournament’s main attractions and would coincide with Punjab Day.
“India and Pakistan may have their rivalries on the hockey field, but sport has its own language,” Mann said, according to PTI.
India Allows Pakistan in Multilateral Events
India’s current sports policy does not allow bilateral sporting engagements with Pakistan amid tensions between the two countries.
However, the Indian Sports Ministry has maintained that the two countries can compete in multilateral events under the Olympic Charter.
Pakistan’s participation in the Asian Champions Trophy would therefore require clearance from its own government.
The country also withdrew from last year’s Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu. The PHF cited heightened tensions between India and Pakistan at the time.
Hockey Federations Maintain Positive Relations
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, who attended Monday’s event, described relations between the hockey federations of India and Pakistan as “excellent”.
The Asian Hockey Federation is organising the Asian Champions Trophy.
The tournament was not held last year.
India are the defending champions after winning the 2023 edition in Chennai and the 2024 tournament in Hulunbuir, China.
Pakistan participated in the 2023 edition in Chennai.
The tournament is scheduled to conclude with the final in Mohali on November 5, but Pakistan’s participation remains subject to government clearance.
