2025 Hockey Asia Cup: Bangladesh likely to replace Pakistan — Reports
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "2025 Hockey Asia Cup: Bangladesh likely to replace Pakistan — Reports")
Bangladesh is likely to replace Pakistan Photograph: (File image)
The 2025 Men's Hockey Asia Cup will be held in Rajgir, India from August 27-September 7. The tournament is organised by the Asian Hockey Federation
The Bangladesh men's hockey team is all set to take the place of Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup, with the latter's participation also uncertain, with nine days remaining for the tournament to start in Rajgir, according to report in news agency PTI. It will be the 12th edition of the tournament and the third time India is hosting it.
The Indian government had previously announced that visas would be given to the Pakistani players for the tournament, but the Pakistan Hockey Federation has declined to travel, citing security threats. The organisers have already contacted Bangladesh to take Pakistan's spot in the eight-nation event, but Hockey India maintained that the exact situation will become clear in the coming two days.
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“The Indian government has already said that it is willing to provide visas to Pakistani players, but if they don’t want to come to India, it’s not our problem. Bangladesh has already been invited to participate in the case Pakistan doesn’t come, but we will have to wait for two more days to get the confirmation," sources familiar with the development were quoted saying. “Neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh have confirmed anything to us till now. But Bangladesh are likely a replacement for Pakistan," the official added.
Pakistan Hockey Federation had previously suggested that Asia Cup to be shifted from India to another country, but it went unheard. Apart from India, the other teams taking part in the Asia Cup are China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Oman and Chinese Taipei. Pakistan has won the Asia Cup three times, ending a hat-trick of victories, in the initial three tournaments, in 1982, 1985 and 1989. Pakistan came second in 1989, 2003 and 2009. In the previous season of the tournament in 2022 in Jakarta, Pakistan won, drew and lost a single match each to finish third in their pool and could not make it to the semi-finals. But in a good show of strength, drew 1-1 with arch-rivals India.
