Pakistan have withdrawn from the men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 that was scheduled to be held from October 27 to November 5 in Punjab; Bangladesh will replace them in the six-team tournament.
India will now play Malaysia on November 1, the date originally scheduled for the fixture against Pakistan.
Last month, Dawn reported that Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani had said the team’s visit to India for the tournament was subject to government clearance and the federation would follow the government’s instructions.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also announced last month that Pakistan would be among the six teams, citing the Centre’s policy of allowing Pakistan to play in multilateral events on Indian soil.
On September 16, PHF wrote to the Asian Hockey Federation saying it wanted a neutral venue to ensure the country’s uninterrupted and full participation in the men’s continental tournament, to be held in Punjab’s Mohali and Jalandhar from October 27 to November 5.
“The decision has been taken in view of the current sensitive bilateral situation between Pakistan and India and the prevailing security conditions, with the aim of ensuring a safe, dignified and conducive environment for the national players and officials,” Wani said in the statement then, as reported by PTI.
The tournament begins at the Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on October 27 and the final will be held at the Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on November 5.
Pakistan also withdrew from WCL
This is the second instance of Pakistan withdrawing from a sporting event involving India this week. Although not hosted on Indian soil, the Pakistan’s cricket team had also withdrawn from the World Championship of Legends (WCL) earlier this month, after the Pakistan Cricket Board refused to issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the side for the tournament being held in the UAE.
This followed Pakistan accusing the tournament of “hypocrisy and bias” and announcing a blanket ban for their tournament even in the future.
In the last edition, India withdrew from two contests against Pakistan, including the semi-final last year. Pakistan was awarded a walkover in that game but the PCB took particular offence at India being awarded a point when they withdrew in a group stage contest against Pakistan.