SRINAGAR: Bangladesh will replace Pakistan in the Men’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2026 after accepting an invitation to participate in the tournament, scheduled to be held in India from October 27 to November 5.
Pakistan withdrew from the competition, citing security concerns and diplomatic tensions with India. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said the federation had formally asked the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) either to shift the tournament to a neutral venue or arrange for Pakistan’s matches to be played elsewhere.
Those requests were rejected by Hockey India and the governing body, prompting Bangladesh to take up the vacant place.
The tournament is scheduled to proceed at venues in Jalandhar and Mohali, with the revised line-up comprising defending champions India, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s withdrawal means the scheduled India-Pakistan round-robin fixture on November 1 in Jalandhar will not take place. Bangladesh will instead get the opportunity to compete against some of Asia’s leading teams in the continental tournament.
The development comes amid longstanding diplomatic strains between India and Pakistan, which have also affected sporting ties. Bilateral hockey series between the two countries have remained suspended since 2006, leaving multinational continental and international competitions as potential venues for their teams to meet.
India will enter the tournament as defending champions. The AHF is expected to issue an updated draw and revised daily match schedule on Friday.
