LAHORE (Kashmir English): Pakistan hockey team captain Imad Shakeel Butt sought relocation of the upcoming Men’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025 from India, citing continuing political tensions between the two arch rivals.
India will host the 12th edition of the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup scheduled to take place from August 27 to September 7.
In a recent interaction with media-men, Imad emphasised the importance of the tournament, which, he said, acts as a qualifier for next year’s Hockey World Cup.
He said the Asia Cup is crucial as it’s a World Cup qualifying event and added given the current situation viz-a-viz India-Pakistan standoff, the venue should be reconsidered.
He added Pakistan hockey would take a final decision regarding participation in line with instructions from the federal government.
Hockey Asia Cup to be played in Rajgir
The 12th edition of the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in Rajgir, India, from August 27 to September 7, 2025, under the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).
There are unconfirmed reports that Indian authorities are planning to exclude Pakistan from the tournament.
The situation arose in the wake of the Pahalgam incident, which also resulted in visa denials for the Pakistani squad, putting their participation in jeopardy.
Neither the Indian government nor the AHF has issued an official statement on the matter.
