New Delhi – The Hockey Asia Cup, beginning tomorrow (Friday) in Rajgir, India, will take place without Pakistan after the national team withdrew citing security concerns.
Scheduled from August 29 to September 7, the tournament also serves as a qualifying round for the Hockey World Cup to be held next year in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The winning team will secure a place in the World Cup.
Following Pakistan’s withdrawal, Bangladesh has been included in the event.
Earlier, Oman also refused to travel to India, leading to Kazakhstan being given a chance to participate.
Organisers fear a major financial setback as the absence of the much-anticipated Pakistan-India clash has dampened the tournament’s appeal.
To attract spectators, entry for all matches has now been made free.
The eight participating teams include Japan, China, Korea, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, India, Malaysia and Chinese Taipei.
