By Sumayya
LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday declined to compete in the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy in India, officially appealing to the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) to relocate the Green Shirts’ fixtures to a neutral ground amidst tense bilateral relations and protection worries.
In a report, PHF Leader Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani expressed that the determination was targeted to guarantee a protected, honorable, and helpful environment for the national competitors and authorities. Wani highlighted that Pakistan stayed completely dedicated to the advancement of the Asian Champions Trophy and international hockey.
“We remain prepared to compete against all FIH partner nations, encompassing India,” he expressed, supplementing that the PHF stayed dedicated to the foundation of keeping athletics detached from politics.
The PHF leader transmitted optimism that the AHF would favorably evaluate Pakistan’s overture for a neutral ground to guarantee the country’s unhindered and complete involvement in the competition.
The Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 remains slated to be conducted from October 27 to November 5 in Jalandhar and Mohali, with Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Malaysia and Korea amidst the competing squads.
Jalandhar is slated to anchor the introductory ritual and league-phase fixtures, while the concluding phases of the competition remain slated to transpire in Mohali.
The update arrived periods after Indian Punjab Chief Executive Bhagwant Mann had asserted that Pakistan would involve in the occasion. India and Pakistan were slated to encounter in Jalandhar on November 1.
However, Wani, on September 14, clarified that the Green Shirts’ involvement in the competition stood dependent on administration authorization.
“The trip of the Pakistan squad will rely on administration authorization. We will execute whatever the administration commands us to execute,” Wani had supplemented.
Frictions between India and Pakistan have impacted the essence of athletics, with Indian competitors on multiple milestones being restricted from shaking palms with Pakistani competitors.
