Bangladesh and Kazakhstan Join Asia Cup Hockey as Pakistan Withdraws

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI): Bangladesh and Kazakhstan have stepped in to replace Pakistan and Oman for the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament, scheduled to take place in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29. The schedule, released on Tuesday, outlines that Hosts India will compete in Pool A alongside China, Japan, and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Pool B features Malaysia, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Bangladesh. Malaysia and Bangladesh are set to kick off the continental tournament with their opening match on August 29, while India will face China in the final game of the day. The final, third-place match, and 5/6th place classification games are slated for September 7. The Indian government had agreed to issue visas to the Pakistani players for the tournament, but the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) declined the offer, citing security concerns. In anticipation of this, the organizers had already approached Bangladesh to fill Pakistan's spot in the eight-team tournament. Pakistan's participation was in doubt due to tensions following the military standoff with India after the Pahalgam terror attack. In response to the attack, which resulted in the loss of 26 lives, India launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle terror infrastructure in Pakistan.

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