Mumbai, Oct 23 (NationPress) With just over a month remaining until the inaugural match, Pakistan has officially withdrawn from the FIH Men's Junior World Cup hockey tournament scheduled from November 28 to December 10 in Chennai and Madurai, citing political tensions with India as the cause.

A report from Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net) indicates that the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), after discussions with their government, has submitted an official notice to the FIH, which will subsequently inform Hockey India.

This marks the second occasion where Pakistan has stepped back from an event in India, following their withdrawal from the Men's Asia Cup held in Rajgir, Bihar.

Rana Mujahid, the secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, confirmed this decision.

“Yes, we believe the current situation is not favorable,” Mujahid stated to www.telecomasia.net. “The recent Asia Cup cricket event demonstrated that India harbors strong emotions against Pakistan. Their players did not shake hands with ours, and they refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, which was indeed shameful,” he remarked.

Pakistan was initially placed in Group B alongside India, Chile, and Switzerland. The FIH will now determine whether to call up a substitute team.

A senior PHF official explained that this choice was made after consultation with the government.

“We sought guidance from the government and the Pakistan Sports Board, who advised us that due to the prevailing political tension, sending the team to India poses a significant security risk,” the official stated.

The FIH has been notified of this decision, and they will relay this information to Hockey India, as per the report.

Earlier, Pakistan also withdrew from the Asia Cup tournament in August, where they were replaced by Bangladesh. This withdrawal has cost them a spot in next year’s World Cup since the event served as a qualifying round for the major tournament.

“We understand this is a significant loss for the junior team, but given the current negative sentiments, this decision is both prudent and wise,” the official added.

The Pakistan junior team had recently faced India in the Sultan of Johor Cup held in Malaysia, where both squads exchanged high-fives before taking their positions on the field; the match concluded in a 3-3 tie.

For over a year, Pakistan's Junior team has been preparing for the World Cup through three series against international teams, but now they will miss out on this opportunity.

Relations between the two nations have further deteriorated following India's targeted airstrikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists.

This rising tension has also affected sports, as the BCCI declined to send the men's cricket team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, prompting Pakistan to adopt a hybrid model where matches against India would occur in Dubai.

In three matches, the Indian players refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts and also declined to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman, who also holds the position of PCB chief and Pakistan's Interior Minister.