ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Hockey Federation has decided that the Green Shirts will not travel to India for the next month’s Junior World Cup, slated to be held from Nov 28 to Dec 10.
The decision was taken during a high-profile meeting held in Islamabad on Wednesday where issues concerning security and India’s hostile approach towards Pakistan in the sports sector came under discussion.
The conduct of India’s cricket team during the recent Asia Cup particularly gained attention of the participants.
According to the PHF, it will convey its decision to Hockey India soon. The PHF and the government don’t want to compromise on security of players, said a PHF official.
Hockey World Cup
This year’s tournament will be the 14th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, the biennial men’s under-21 field hockey world championship organized by the International Hockey Federation.
The event will be held at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India from 28 November to 10 December 2025. The tournament will feature 24 teams for the first time.
International Cricket Council (ICC), the sports global body, has arranged for neutral venues for both Pakistan and India during tournaments held in either country.
The FIH, hockey’s governing body, however, hasn’t made any such hybrid arrangement yet.
Pakistan chose not to participate in the Asia Cup in India last month despite the tournament being a qualifier for next year’s World Cup.
