ISLAMABAD, October 23, 2025: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided not to send its national junior team to India for the upcoming Junior Hockey World Cup, scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 10, citing security concerns and strained sporting relations between the two neighbours.
The decision was finalised on Wednesday following a high-level meeting in Islamabad that reviewed the prevailing political climate and India’s stance toward Pakistan in various sporting events.
The decision comes after a high-profile meeting where the security issues and India’s hostile approach towards Pakistan in the sports sector came under discussion.https://t.co/R6XZmkqJQG
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) October 22, 2025
A PHF official confirmed the development, saying the federation would formally notify Hockey India and the International Hockey Federation (FIH). “The PHF and the government don’t want to compromise on the security of players; therefore, we decided not to send our team,” the official told Dawn.com.
The move follows Pakistan’s earlier absence from the Asia Cup in India, which served as a qualifier for next year’s World Cup. Unlike cricket, where the International Cricket Council (ICC) arranges neutral venues for matches between the two countries, hockey’s global body has not introduced a similar hybrid model.
The decision marks another setback for Pakistan’s international hockey participation and underscores ongoing diplomatic friction affecting sports exchanges between the two nations.
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Meanwhile, the issue of PHF elections came under discussion during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, chaired by MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed. The committee was informed that the PHF had agreed to conduct a club scrutiny and election process soon.
PHF Secretary Rana Mujahid told the committee that the matter would be placed before the federation’s Executive Committee on November 7, after which a formal schedule would be announced. The committee also directed that the election commission include Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) representatives to ensure transparency and oversight.
