Pakistan withdraws from Junior Hockey World Cup, replacement team to be announced soon
PTC News Desk: Pakistan has withdrawn from the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup in India, set to take place in India later this year.
The tournament is slated to take place from November 28 to December 28 across Chennai and Madurai, which will now proceed without one of its traditional hockey powerhouses. FIH said it would announce Pakistan’s replacement team for the event “soon.”
“We can confirm that the Pakistan Hockey Federation has notified the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that its team initially qualified for the upcoming FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 won't participate eventually,” the federation said in an official statement.
“The team replacing Pakistan for this event will be announced soon,” the statement added.
Pakistan had secured qualification for the World Cup earlier this year, but its participation remained uncertain due to escalating political and diplomatic tensions with India.
The already fragile sporting ties between the two nations deteriorated further after the April 22 Pahalgam Terror Attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor, which brought bilateral sporting exchanges to a standstill.
The Junior World Cup, scheduled to take place in Chennai and Madurai, marks India’s first time hosting the event since 2021 and is expected to feature top youth hockey teams from across the globe. However, Pakistan’s withdrawal has cast a shadow over the tournament, given its strong hockey legacy and the long-standing rivalry between the two countries on the international stage.
- PTC NEWS
