KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation said Wednesday that the national team will not tour India for an Asian tournament, citing security concerns and calling for the event to be moved to a “safer” country.
Pakistan and five other nations were due to compete in the Asian Champions Trophy from October 27 to November 5 in Mohali and Jalandhar, India.
The Indian and Pakistani teams have boycotted each other since New Delhi stalled all bilateral sporting ties in the wake of 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which it blamed on militants based across the border.
Nuclear-armed arch-rivals India and Pakistan share a deep distrust, and last year fought a deadly four-day conflict triggered by an attack on tourists, mostly Hindus, in Kashmir.
Mohyuddin Wani, president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, said the decision not to tour India had been conveyed to the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).
“Considering the sensitive situation between the two countries, it is not advisable to send our players to India so we have demanded from the AHF to relocate the event to a safer country,” Wani said in a statement.
Pakistan also withdrew from last year’s Asia Cup hockey event in India, citing security fears and tension at the border.
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