The tournament is scheduled to be played in Bihar
\n LAHORE
\nBangladesh are likely to replace Pakistan in the upcoming men\u2019s Asia Cup hockey tournament, scheduled to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29, if the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) does not confirm participation within the next 48 hours, Indian media reported on Monday.
\nA top Hockey India official confirmed on Monday that the organisers have approached Bangladesh as a standby option.
\n\u201cThe Indian government has already said it is willing to provide visas to Pakistani players, but if they don\u2019t want to come to India, it\u2019s not our problem. Bangladesh has already been invited to participate in case Pakistan doesn\u2019t come, but we will have to wait for two more days to get the confirmation,\u201d the official said.
\nThe PHF has raised security concerns and expressed reluctance to send its team to India, despite the Union government\u2019s assurance of facilitating visas. The uncertainty over Pakistan\u2019s participation stems from heightened political and military tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. In response, India launched \u201cOperation Sindoor\u201d targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan. The PHF had even suggested shifting the tournament to a neutral venue, but the proposal was not accepted.
\nThe Asia Cup is a key event on the hockey calendar, serving as a qualifying tournament for the 2026 Men\u2019s Hockey World Cup. Besides hosts India, the confirmed teams are China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Oman, and Chinese Taipei.
\n\u201cNeither Pakistan nor Bangladesh have confirmed anything to us till now. But Bangladesh are the most likely replacement for Pakistan if they withdraw,\u201d the Hockey India official added.
\nIf confirmed, Bangladesh\u2019s inclusion would ensure the eight-team format remains intact, while Pakistan\u2019s absence would mark a significant setback, given its historical stature in Asian hockey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The tournament is scheduled to be played in Bihar LAHORE Bangladesh are likely to replace Pakistan in the upcoming men\u2019s Asia Cup hockey tournament, scheduled to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29, if the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) does not confirm participation within the next 48 hours, Indian media reported on Monday. A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":497605,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-497593","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n