The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has addressed concerns regarding the safety and security of sending their team to India for the upcoming Asia Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Rajgir, India, from 27 August to 7 September 2025.
As quoted by Sportstar, Tariq Bugti, the PHF Head, has written to the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), stating that it is difficult for them to send a team amid political tensions with India.
“We have informed them that in the existing scenario, our team will face security risks playing in India. We have informed them our players are also not keen to travel to India for the Asia Cup which is also a direct qualifying tournament,” he said.
It is now up to the FIH and AHF to decide how they will manage the event and schedule Pakistan’s matches accordingly. The PHF Head has also asked for guarantees regarding player safety before making a final decision.
“We have asked them to let us know what guarantee is there that our players will be safe in India and will be able to focus on the tournament,” he said. An official statement is yet to be made by the Pakistan government, but a senior official has confirmed the team’s reluctance to travel to India.
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