KARACHI – Former Olympian and captain of the Pakistan national hockey team Hanif Khan called for the relocation of the upcoming Hockey Asia Cup from India, citing worsening security conditions and hostile sentiments towards Pakistani athletes.
Hanif Khan said the political climate in India, especially following recent tensions and alleged threats from extremist groups, makes it unsafe for the Pakistan hockey team to participate in the tournament.
He was talking to a local private TV on Friday.
“After their recent defeat in war, the situation in India is not stable. There is fear and unrest. In such circumstances, sending the Pakistan hockey team to India would be a mistake,” he said.
The former captain raised serious concerns about player safety, questioning the reliability of Indian authorities. “India’s security cannot be trusted. What guarantee is there that our players will be protected?” he asked, while referring to reported open threats made by the Hindu extremist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) against Pakistan’s hockey team.
Hanif Khan suggested that the Asia Cup be shifted to a neutral venue, such as the United Arab Emirates or Malaysia. “I appeal to the prime minister and president of Pakistan: do not send our team to India. Let the tournament be held elsewhere,” he urged.
He also criticized India’s history of politicizing sports, saying, “Pakistan has never created hurdles in sports but India always does. Whether it’s cricket or hockey, they have repeatedly blocked sporting ties. It’s not about India stopping us — we should take a stand ourselves,”.
Hanif Khan emphasized that until bilateral relations between the two countries normalize, Pakistan’s sports teams should avoid traveling to India.
“India uses every tactic to damage Pakistan’s image internationally. We should not risk our players or our national pride under such conditions,” he added.
The Hockey Asia Cup is scheduled to be held later this year.
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