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Pakistan withdraw from Junior Hockey World Cup in India, replacement team to be announced later: FIH
Pakistan has withdrawn from the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup in India, confirming its absence from November 28 to December 28.
Pakistan withdraw from the upcoming FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup, set to take place in India later this year, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed to news agency PTI on Friday.
The tournament, scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 28 across Chennai and Madurai, will now go ahead without one of its traditional hockey powerhouses. FIH said it would announce Pakistan’s replacement team for the event “soon.”
“We can confirm that the Pakistan Hockey Federation has notified the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that its team initially qualified for the upcoming FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 won't participate eventually,” the federation said in an official statement released to PTI.
“The team replacing Pakistan for this event will be announced soon,” the statement added.
Pakistan had qualified for the World Cup earlier this year but their participation had remained uncertain amid rising political and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan. The strained sporting relationship between the two neighbours worsened following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor, which has effectively halted bilateral engagements across multiple sports.
The Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai marks the first time India will host the tournament since 2021, and it is expected to draw top youth teams from around the world. Pakistan’s withdrawal, however, has cast a shadow over the event, given the country’s rich history in hockey and its storied rivalry with India on the international stage.
