How Pakistan hockey team coming to India is part of 2036 Olympics hosting dream. Details here

When India suspended all visa services for Pakistan after the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, the message was loud and clear that it wouldn't tolerate any terrorist activity. Along with halting diplomatic ties and trade, India also banned travel between the two nations. But as things calmed down, one question began to arise in the sports fraternity: Will Pakistani athletes be allowed to play in India for multinational tournaments? With airspace closed and no clarity on visa policies, it seemed unlikely that any Pakistani team would be seen on Indian soil anytime soon.

However, according to media reports Pakistan’s men’s hockey team was cleared to participate in the Asia Cup in Bihar's Rajgir and the FIH men’s Junior World Cup later in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai.

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If the media reports are true, this move would just not be about hockey, but a calculated decision linked to India’s dream of hosting the Olympics. India is actively bidding to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and also dreams of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games. While building stadiums and upgrading infrastructure are key parts of the plan, there’s another requirement that's necessary to host the Olympic Games: the Olympic Charter.

What is the Olympic Charter?

The Olympic Charter is the fundamental document that governs the activities of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and sets the rules and guidelines for the Olympic movement. It defines the rights and duties of the National Olympic Committees, the conduct of the Games and the principles that all participating countries and athletes must follow.

One of its core principles, rule 44 of the charter, ensures that no athlete is excluded from international competitions based on race, religion, sex or political reasons and the IOC takes its framework very seriously.

India learnt this back in 2019. After the Pulwama attacks, when Pakistani shooters were denied visas for a World Cup event in Delhi, the IOC stepped in. Talks of future events were put on hold and India was warned that unless it gives written assurances of fair participation, it could lose hosting rights for global events. Even though India has cut off all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, especially in cricket, it has made it clear that Pakistani players won’t be stopped from competing in international events hosted in India, as long as it's a multi-nation tournament.