India-Pakistan tensions threaten Asia Cup hockey tournament in Bihar
The burning question: will the tournament go ahead, or will it be postponed?
The winners will earn a spot at the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.
As of now, the draw and fixtures remain unset, with world No 15 Pakistan yet to confirm their participation in the event hosted by India.
Alongside world No 8 India and world No 12 Malaysia, the competition will also feature world No 13 and defending champions South Korea, Japan (No. 18), China (No. 22), Oman (No. 26) and Taiwan (No. 38).
Timesport contacted the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) regarding the status of the tournament, but it declined to comment.
Sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said the Asia Cup is a major international hockey competition, and the draw and fixtures should have been finalised months ago.
"By not doing the draw and fixtures, it is affecting the preparation of the other seven teams. It is also affecting their planning, strategy, and tactics, as the groupings are still unknown," he said.
"The mindset of coaches, players, and officials is being impacted because no one knows whether the tournament is going ahead or being postponed.
Pekan added it was "embarrassing" that the delay was due to Pakistan's decision to delay confirmation.
"The AHF should have set a deadline for Pakistan to confirm, rather than giving them unlimited time," he said.
"This is not a six-a-side tournament where you can make the draw at the last minute. It's a crucial event, with World Cup qualification at stake, and needs to be handled professionally.
"AHF must be firm in its decisions. Otherwise, in future, other teams might do the same."
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