The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has dismissed as “baseless” the reports claiming that it has refused to participate in the upcoming Asia Cup.
Speaking on the matter, PHF President Tariq Bugti said that there is no truth to the claims of Pakistan withdrawing from the tournament. He added that no communication has been made with the Indian Hockey Federation, nor is there any obligation to inform them of Pakistan’s internal decisions.
Bugti made it clear that the PHF remains in contact with the Asian Hockey Federation and that participation in the Asia Cup remains subject to governmental approval.
On the other hand, reports circulating in Indian media have been contradicted by sources indicating that Bangladesh have not received any formal invitation to the tournament.
The Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) stated that neither Hockey India nor the Asian Hockey Federation has sent any official correspondence in this regard.
Indian media had earlier claimed that Bangladesh would be included in place of Pakistan, a report now revealed to be unfounded.
Earlier, the Indian media claimed that Pakistan have withdrawn from the upcoming Asia Cup Hockey tournament, which is scheduled to take place in India, citing security concerns, according to Indian media reports.
In light of Pakistan’s decision, Bangladesh have been invited to participate in the tournament in its place. The Asia Cup Hockey event is set to be held in Rajgir, a city in the Indian state of Bihar.
The tournament is scheduled to run from August 29 to September 7.
