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Pakistan has pulled retired of the Junior Hockey World Cup to beryllium held successful India successful November-December, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed to PTI connected Friday (October 24, 2025).
The FIH said Pakistan's replacement squad for the November 28-December 10 event, to beryllium held successful Chennai and Madurai, volition beryllium announced soon.
"We tin corroborate that the Pakistan Hockey Federation has notified the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that its squad initially qualified for the upcoming FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 won't enactment eventually," FIH said successful a connection released to PTI.
"The squad replacing Pakistan for this lawsuit volition beryllium announced soon," the connection added.
Pakistan were placed successful Group B alongside India, Chile, and Switzerland and it remains to beryllium seen which squad replaces them.
This is the 2nd lawsuit successful India that Pakistan has pulled retired from aft the men's Asia Cup successful Rajgir, Bihar, held from August 29 to September 7 this year. The sporting ties betwixt India and Pakistan person deteriorated since the April 22 Pahalgam panic attack and India's consequent Operation Sindoor.
The Indian authorities precocious announced a new argumentation nether which it volition not prosecute successful bilateral sporting contests with Pakistan but volition proceed to vie against them successful multi-nation tournaments.
During the caller Asia Cup, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav had refused to shingle hands with his Pakistan counterpart.
No Knowledge says Hockey India
Hockey India however, said it has nary hint astir Pakistan's withdrawal.
"We person nary accusation from FIH that Pakistan has withdrawn. I had a speech with Pakistan Hockey Federation officials a month-and-a-half back, and they had confirmed their participation," HI caput wide Bholanth Singh told PTI.
"What transpired aft that, I person nary knowledge. Our work is to behaviour the champion tourney arsenic hosts and anticipation India wins the title. It is present upto FIH to denote a replacement for Pakistan," helium said.
PHF look for neutral venue
Interestingly, portion FIH says it volition look for a replacement team, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has expressed willingness to vie successful the tourney astatine a neutral venue.
PHF caput wide Rana Mujahid said connected Friday (October 24, 2025) that it had been decided successful rule that the nationalist inferior squad would not question to India owed to the existing tensions betwixt the 2 countries, and it was conveyed to the FIH.
"We have, astatine the aforesaid time, urged the FIH to put for a neutral venue to let america to enactment and play our matches successful the Junior World Cup arsenic missing retired connected large events due to the fact that they are being held successful India is hurting our hockey and not helping successful the improvement of our players," the Olympian said successful Lahore.
"We person told the FIH however bash they expect america to spell and play successful India erstwhile their athletes are not adjacent consenting to shingle hands successful antithetic sports, adjacent astatine neutral venues. FIH says each the events were awarded to India good earlier the struggle truthful nary 1 anticipated specified a situation," Mr. Rana added.
