Pakistan will take part in the Junior Hockey World Cup that is scheduled to be held in India from November 28 to December 10. The tournament will be hosted in Chennai and Madurai, and teams from 24 countries will participate. Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh confirmed that the Pakistan team had given assurance about their participation.
Singh said that Pakistan had conveyed their confirmation to him directly. This confirmation comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan remain strained. Pakistan had earlier decided not to travel to Raipur for the ongoing Asia Cup. People aware of the matter in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) stated that the decision was influenced by security concerns, although there was no official statement issued by the federation.
The political backdrop to this development is important. Just last week, the Government of India announced a new policy that cuts off all bilateral sporting engagements with Pakistan. This move followed rising tensions between the two countries after a deadly terror attack in Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the attack, leading to further strain in diplomatic ties.
However, India’s policy also made a distinction between bilateral and multilateral events. While India will not engage with Pakistan in bilateral sports matches or tournaments, it will continue to compete against them in international competitions where multiple nations are involved. The Junior Hockey World Cup falls into this category, making Pakistan’s participation possible despite the political climate.
Relations between India and Pakistan had already deteriorated earlier this year, particularly after a short military conflict in May. The trust deficit between the two countries has only grown since then. Still, international sporting events like the Junior World Cup remain a platform where both nations continue to compete.
Singh also shared updates about the tournament preparations. According to him, Hockey India has already received the list of players from 23 countries out of the 24 expected to take part. The only country yet to send the list is Pakistan. Singh said that Pakistan is likely to provide it soon. As the vice president of the Asian Hockey Federation, Singh expressed confidence that all participating teams, including Pakistan, will be ready in time for the tournament.
The Junior Hockey World Cup is a significant event for the sport as it provides young players from across the world an opportunity to compete at an international level. For India, hosting the tournament is also a chance to showcase its ability to organize major global events successfully.
While political issues often cast a shadow on sports between India and Pakistan, the confirmation of Pakistan’s participation in the Junior World Cup suggests that the spirit of international sportsmanship can still prevail in certain arenas. Whether this competition helps in easing tensions or not remains to be seen, but for now, the focus will be on the young athletes who will take the field in Chennai and Madurai later this year.
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