New Delhi (TDI): Amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India after the Pahalgam attack, India has denied visas to Pakistani hockey players, preventing them from participating in the Men’s Asia Cup 2025.
Men’s Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to be held in the month of August in Rajgir, India, in which several hockey teams from across Asia will participate. The tournament is significant for qualifying for the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup. However, India continues to disrupt sporting events for Pakistan due to its hostility.
The visa cancellations between Pakistan and India resulted from heightened diplomatic tensions after India accused Pakistan of conducting a Pahalgam attack. The Asian Hockey Federation has yet to comment on the situation.
It is also not clear if the tournament would take place as scheduled or will it be moved to another location in case Pakistan lodges official complaint. The development has left Pakistan’s participation in the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in limbo for now.
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The news also came as a setback for the players, who had been training for the tournament for the past several months.
Due to the growing diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and India, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) faces increasing pressure to address the situation. Earlier, the Federation emphasized that all participant teams would be provided equal and safe access regardless of any political conflicts.
This is not the first time that diplomatic tensions have overshadowed sports in the subcontinent, but for a tournament as anticipated as the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan’s forced absence would be seen as a glaring void.
As the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 approaches, both the hockey community as well as hockey fans are left wondering whether sports would ever be able to rise above politics in the subcontinent.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
