Friday 11 July 2025

Pakistan to not put hockey team in ‘danger’ for India-hosted Asia Cup

Mashood says government to thoroughly deliberate security arrangements for continental tournament

By Atique ur Rehman


Pakistan players sing national anthem ahead of their FIH Nations Cup Pool B match against New Zealand at the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on June 18, 2025. — FIH

The Chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme in Pakistan, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, said Thursday that the national men’s hockey team will only be permitted to travel to India for the AHF Asia Cup subject to the satisfactory security arrangements.

Pakistan to evaluate security before approving hockey team’s tour to India 

Participation in the Asia Cup and the Junior World Cup hinges on the government's security review.


Pakistan men hockey team. (Photo credit: PTI)

Pakistan will only send its national men’s hockey team to India for the upcoming Asia Cup and the FIH Junior World Cup after a thorough assessment of the security conditions, as per PTI. The final decision will be based on whether the environment is considered safe for Pakistani players, according to senior officials.

Pakistan to send teams to India for Asia Cup, Junior World Cup after reviewing security threats

Rana Mujahid, the secretary-general of PHF, admitted that Pakistan had taken part in international events in India in the past, but the situation was different now.


Pakistan is expected to travel to India for the tournaments only if its government was totally satisfied with the security situation in India. | Photo Credit: The Hindu/M. Vedhan

Pakistan is set to review the security situation in India before taking a call on sending its national men’s hockey team to the neighbouring country for the upcoming Asia Cup and Junior World Cup later this year. 

Squad announced for Scotland men to compete in EuroHockey Championship II



A strong Scotland men’s squad has been announced for EuroHockey Championship II in Lousada, Portugal, on 27 July – 2 August.

Scotland women’s squad for EuroHockey Championship announced



The Scotland women’s squad has been announced to compete at the EuroHockey Championships in Monchengladbach, Germany, on 9-17 August.

Two different paths, one shared dream



Hockey in most countries is an amateur sport, although played at a high-performance level. But in some places, it can be more amateur than in others. Conditions, infrastructure, and the budget allocated to the development of the sport—all these factors influence how many sacrifices players must make to wear their national team’s jersey. Talent alone is not enough. There’s much more behind it: postponing the dream of becoming a mother, traveling more than three hours every day to train, relying on financial support from family, giving up a social life, starting the day at 5 a.m. to juggle studying, working, and training with the national team, and ending it at 1 a.m. All of this is driven by the love for their flag—in these cases, Paraguay and Brazil—with the immediate goal of the Pan American Cup.

U18 Asia Cup 2025
Dazhou (CHN)

All times GMT +8

Men

10 Jul 2025 was a rest day

Women

10 Jul 2025 17:30     SRI v HKG (5-8th Place Pool)         0 - 1
10 Jul 2025 19:30     TPE v UZB (5-8th Place Pool)        1 - 1

Pool standings

FIH Match Centre

Exposure is key, says Malaysian junior hockey coach Nor Saiful Zaini ahead of MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup

Playing against senior players in the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup will not be easy, said Saiful, but expressed confidence that his boys will put up a fight.

K. Keerthivasan


Malaysia junior hockey head coach Nor Saiful Zaini during an Interview. | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/ The Hindu

In his first stint as the head coach of the Malaysian National junior men’s hockey team, Nor Saiful Zaini is pragmatic of his team’s chances in the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup, which commenced here on Thursday and the FIH junior men’s World Cup to be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. 

Day-8 Results: 15th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2025



Ranchi: As we are about to reach the Quarter-final stage of the 15th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2025, it is Hockey Mizoram and Hockey Association of Bihar who finished their campaigns with a win in their respective matches in Division ‘A’.

Namibian Personality of the week – Keister: Her love for hockey

Hilma Nalupe



Originally from Keetmanshoop Pamoritha,  Keister is a born student athlete. She grew up playing soccer, rugby, tennis and netball but stuck to hockey as she fell in love with the sport and never looked back. Keister started playing the sport back in 2015 when the captain of her school’s hockey team asked her to join, due to a need for a hockey goalkeeper while serving as the goalkeeper for the ladies’ soccer team and has since been committed to the sport for 10 years now. 

John De Souza Inducted into Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame

Legendary Ontario coach enters in the Coach Category



Field Hockey Canada is proud to announce the induction of John De Souza into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame, Class of 2024. Honoured in the Coach category, De Souza stands as the sole inductee this year, a fitting recognition for a career that has shaped the landscape of Canadian field hockey.