Sohail Abbas Opts Out of Asia Cup, Unrelated to Pakistan's Absence

By Mona Parthsarathi

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) – Pakistan's legendary drag-flicker Sohail Abbas, currently serving as the assistant coach for Malaysia’s hockey team, has chosen not to accompany his team to the upcoming Asia Cup in India. He clarified that his decision is unrelated to Pakistan's absence from the event.

The men's Asia Cup hockey tournament is set to take place in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 29 to September 7. This competition offers a direct qualification spot for next year's World Cup, scheduled to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.

“I am not coming for the Asia Cup due to some personal reasons,” said Abbas, widely regarded as the "King of the Drag Flick", in a conversation with PTI Bhasha from Karachi.

After retiring from international hockey in 2012, Abbas kept a low profile until he took up his first coaching role as an assistant coach for penalty corners with the Malaysian national team in October 2024.

When asked if his decision was influenced by Pakistan not participating in the tournament, the 48-year-old veteran, who has played in four World Cups (Utrecht 1998, Kuala Lumpur 2002, Mönchengladbach 2006, and Delhi 2010) and three Olympics (Athens 2000, Sydney 2004, and London 2012), said, “No, there is nothing like that. Even before this, I did not go with the team to Australia and China.”

Pakistan's participation in the Asia Cup had been uncertain due to the military confrontation with India following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.

While the Indian government had agreed to provide visas to Pakistani players for the tournament, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) declined to allow their players to travel, citing security concerns. Consequently, Bangladesh has replaced Pakistan in this eight-team tournament.

The Sports Ministry recently outlined its policy towards bilateral sporting engagement with Pakistan, stating it will neither host nor travel to Pakistan for bilateral events but won’t stop its teams from competing in multi-nation tournaments.

Abbas, who has played 311 international matches for Pakistan and scored a record 21 hat-tricks, made his international debut against India in Peshawar in February 1998. He last played in India during the 2010 Delhi World Cup, where his team finished 12th.

He expressed admiration for the Indian hockey team's performance, which includes consecutive Olympic bronze medals. "The team is doing well, and the drag-flickers are also good," he said.

When asked for advice to Indian captain and experienced drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, Abbas said, “He is playing very well, and it is good to see his performance improving continuously. I would advise him to stay on the same track and keep working hard like this.” However, when asked about the India-Pakistan hockey rivalry, he chose not to comment.

The record for most goals in international hockey is held by Major Dhyan Chand, who scored 570 goals in 185 matches. However, Abbas holds the world record on artificial turf with 348 goals in 311 matches. He broke the record of 267 goals held by Dutch penalty corner specialist Paul Litjens during the Champions Trophy in Amritsar in October 2004.

Abbas, who enjoyed immense popularity in India, was captain of the Hyderabad Sultans in the Indian Premier Hockey League in 2005, leading them to the title.

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