Will India and Pakistan face off in cricket at the Asia Cup this September? That’s the question many are asking. A sports ministry source mentioned that Pakistan’s hockey teams won’t be barred from playing in the Asia Cup next month and the junior World Cup in India.
The Asia Cup is set to take place in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7, while the junior World Cup will be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. If Pakistan’s hockey teams do participate, it would mark one of the first times a sports team from Pakistan has traveled to India since Operation Sindoor.
When asked if this means India will be permitted to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup cricket matches in September, the source stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet contacted the ministry about this. The ministry will look at the question if the BCCI gets in touch.
India and Pakistan have mostly avoided playing each other in sports for almost 20 years. Even games in multi-nation events were uncertain after the Pahalgam terror attack in April, where 26 tourists were killed.
The source stated that they are not against any team playing in India in a multi-nation contest. Stopping Pakistan would be viewed as a violation of the Olympic Charter, but there will be no change on the ban for bilateral games.
The sports ministry source added that blocking Pakistan’s hockey team would go against the Olympic Charter. The Charter promotes sport as a way to achieve world peace and teamwork. So, blocking a rival country from a multi-nation event could hurt the host nation’s chances of hosting future events.
In May, India responded with Operation Sindoor, hitting terror locations in Pakistan. This led to a tense situation that eased when Pakistan asked for a ceasefire.
He added that international sports require competing in multi-nation contests. For instance, Russia and Ukraine are at war, but they still participate in multi-nation events and compete.
Hockey India (HI) is pleased with the call to let Pakistan’s hockey teams play in the Asia Cup and junior World Cup in India. HI secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said that they agree with the government’s call. Their view was that they would follow whatever the government chose.
HI had stated that they would comply with the government’s instructions on the matter.