LAHORE: Former Pakistan hockey team captain and Olympic gold medalist Hanif Khan has called for the relocation of the upcoming Asia Cup Hockey tournament from India, citing serious security concerns and strained bilateral relations.
In a conversation with Geo News, Khan expressed deep concern over the current situation in India following its recent military conflict, suggesting it is not safe for Pakistani athletes to travel there.
“After the recent war defeat, the situation in India is not good. There is widespread panic. In such circumstances, the Pakistan hockey team should not travel to India,” said Hanif.
“The security situation is unsatisfactory. India should not be trusted. What guarantee is there for the safety of our players?” he questioned.
He proposed that the tournament be held in a neutral and safer location, such as the UAE or Malaysia.
“The Asia Cup Hockey tournament should be held in the UAE or Malaysia. Pakistan has never created obstacles in sports; it has always been India that caused disruptions. Why would India stop us? We ourselves should choose not to go,” he stated.
The Olympic gold medalist appealed directly to Pakistan’s top leadership, urging them to reconsider sending the team.
“We request the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan not to send the team to India. India created hurdles in cricket matters, and now they are doing the same in hockey. India uses every tactic possible to damage Pakistan’s image in the world. Until Pakistan-India relations improve, Pakistani teams should not travel to India,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, also weighed in on the issue, stating that Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup would be conditional upon thorough evaluation of India’s security arrangements.
In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Mashhood stated, “We will analyse the security arrangements for the Asia Cup in India.”
“If we were not satisfied with the arrangements, we will not put the Pakistan team in danger,” he added.
The remarks come amid reports from Indian media suggesting that the Indian government is likely to permit Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup, set to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7.
An Indian sports ministry source commented on the issue, saying, “We are not against any team competing in India in a multi-national competition. If we try to stop Pakistan, it would be seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter. But bilateral is different, and there will be no relaxation on that front.”
“International sports demands that we cannot back out from competing in multi-national competitions. Take for instance, Russia and Ukraine-they are at war, yet they turn up for events and compete. The same principle applies here,” the official added.
Following the Asia Cup, India is also scheduled to host the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup from November 28 to December 10, with matches to be played in Chennai and Madurai.
Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
