The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has told the sport’s global governing body FIH that it will be “difficult” for them to send a team to India to take part in the the Asia Cup next month due to “security concerns”. PHF’s head, Tariq Bugti, said that they have a written to the global governing body and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) communicating their reservations over sending their team to India. “We have informed them that in the existing scenario, our team will face security risks playing in India,” he said. “We have informed them our players are also not keen to travel to India for the Asia Cup which is also a direct qualifying tournament,” he added.

Tariq further said that it is now up to the FIH and AHF to take a call about the event and Pakistan’s fixtures. “We have asked them to let us know what guarantee is there that our players will be safe in India and will be able to focus on the tournament,” he said. The Pakistan government is yet to issue an official statement on the matter. It is also important to note that the Indian government and Hockey India have also not commented on the matter yet.

40-member core group for senior women’s National camp announced

Meanwhile, Hockey India announced a 40-member core probables group for the upcoming Senior Women’s National Coaching Camp, scheduled to be held at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru from 21st July to 29th August 2025. The camp holds significant importance as the Indian Women’s Hockey Team gears up for the Women’s Asia Cup 2025, set to begin on 5th September in Hangzhou, China. The tournament will serve as a direct qualification pathway for the 2026 FIH Women’s World Cup, with only the champion earning a guaranteed spot. All players from the previous camp have been retained, reflecting a continued emphasis on stability and long-term development under the current coaching setup.

8. Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam

13. Akshata Abaso Dhekale

17. Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke

40. Kajal Sadashiv Atpadkar