September 17, 06:47Aaj Tak

Hockey India rejects Pakistan's demand to change the venue of the Asian Champions Trophy

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) requested a change in the venue for the 2026 Asian Champions Trophy, citing security concerns. However, Hockey India has categorically rejected this request. The General Secretary of Hockey India, Bola Nat Singh, stated that the tournament venue will not change, and if Pakistan wishes to participate, it must travel to India.

The men's 2026 Asian Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Mohali starting October 27. PHF approached the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) with a request either to hold the tournament outside India or to organize all Pakistani matches on a neutral ground.

The Chairman of PHF, Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani, confirmed this request in an official statement, noting that the decision was made considering the current sensitive relations between India and Pakistan. The primary reason cited by PHF was security, as the federation deems it necessary to ensure a safe environment for the team and its support staff during the tournament.

Bola Nat Singh clarified the situation regarding Pakistan's request in an interview with PTI. He emphasized that the issue of changing the venue is not under discussion and such demands will not be considered. He reiterated that the venue will remain the same, and if Pakistan intends to participate in the Asian Champions Trophy, it must come to India.

Thus, Hockey India did not offer Pakistan alternatives such as matches on neutral territory or relocating the entire tournament outside India.

Hockey India has prepared a backup plan in case Pakistan decides to withdraw from the tournament. Bola Nat Singh announced that Bangladesh or Oman teams could be included instead of Pakistan. He specified that they have two such teams that can replace Pakistan. This means that if Pakistan declines to come to India, there is an option for a team replacement, rather than the cancellation of the tournament or a drastic change in the schedule.

All these events occurred while the Pakistani hockey team had not yet received official permission from its government to travel to India. A senior PHF official told PTI that the national team has still not received government clearance to enter India. This contradicts previous statements by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, who had previously asserted that Pakistan would participate in the Asian Champions Trophy and confirmed this alongside Bola Nat Singh. Mann also stated that Indian sports policy permits the participation of Pakistani teams in multinational sporting events held in the country.

It is not the first time Pakistan has declined to participate in tournaments held in India, citing security issues. Last year, the team also withdrew from the FIH Junior World Cup held in Tamil Nadu and did not participate in the Asia Cup. In both cases, security concerns were cited as the reason for withdrawal. Now, regarding the 2026 Asian Champions Trophy, PHF has again raised similar concerns, but Hockey India has clearly stated that the tournament venue in Mohali will not be changed.

Six teams are scheduled to participate in the men's 2026 Asian Champions Trophy. These include India, the host nation, along with Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Japan, and Korea. The tournament is set to take place in Mohali starting October 27. Attention is currently focused on what decision the Asian Hockey Federation will make regarding PHF's request for a location change, and whether the Pakistani team will receive government permission for the visit to India.

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www.aajtak.inSeptember 14, 15:12

Owaisi criticized the government for refusing to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi due to his ties with Pakistan

Asaduddin Owaisi, head of AIMIM, spoke out against the refusal of the Indian women's cricket team to accept the Women's Asian Cup trophy, expressing sharp dissatisfaction with the government. He stated: 'What is this nonsense... why are you playing with them when the Indus River agreement was blocked, how can an ICC contract be mandatory?'

Owaisi also pointed out that the government allows the BCCI to earn money from television rights and questioned why there is no sympathy for those whose relatives were brutally killed by terrorists in Pahalgam. He emphasized that one cannot cooperate with a country that continues to support terrorism, mentioning that Pakistan was also behind the recent suicide bombing at Red Fort.

It should be noted that India won the Women's Asian Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final, but the trophy presentation ceremony once again sparked controversy. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi. On Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, India won the Women's Asian Cup for the eighth consecutive time after brilliant performances by Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, who helped the Indian bowlers defeat Sri Lanka by 111 runs.

According to reports, the BCCI had previously notified the ACC that the Indian team would refuse to accept the trophy if Mohsin Naqvi attended the award ceremony. Previously, after the men's victory over Pakistan in the final last year, India had also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, which led to tension between the BCCI and ACC. This time, such a confrontation manifested specifically at the Women's Asian Cup.

www.aajtak.inSeptember 14, 04:59

BCCI Refuses to Accept Trophy at Women's Asian Cup Awards Ceremony After India's Victory Over Sri Lanka

The Indian team defeated Sri Lanka by a margin of 72 runs and won the title of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup champion. However, despite the championship, the team led by Harmanpreet Kaur was unable to receive the trophy.

On Sunday, September 13, a deadlock arose regarding the presentation of the trophy during the awards ceremony after the final match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Mohsin Naqvi, the current chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and head of the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board), arrived at the stadium to personally present the trophy to the victorious Indian team. Nevertheless, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not agree with this.

Following this, the awards ceremony was delayed, and negotiations began behind the scenes between both parties. The Indian side proposed receiving the trophy through ACC Vice-President Khalid Al-Jaruni, but this offer was rejected. Ultimately, Mohsin Naqvi presented the silver medal cheque to the Sri Lankan team. Khalid Al-Jaruni, Eran Wickramaratne, head of the Sri Lankan Transformation Commission for Cricket, Mubashir Usmani, General Secretary of Emirates Cricket Board, and a representative of sponsor DP World were also present on stage.

BCCI Secretary Devadjit Saikia and Vice-President Rajiv Shukla were at the stadium but did not participate on stage. They met with the Indian team on the field. The awards ceremony concluded without the winning team receiving the trophy and medals.

This incident reminded people of the events of the Men's ICC Cup in September 2025. At that time, the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, won the tournament by defeating Pakistan at the same Dubai International Cricket Stadium, but a similar dispute arose over the handover of the trophy. At that time, Mohsin Naqvi also held the position of ACC chief, and the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from him. Approximately a year later, the BCCI did not change its stance in the Women's Asian Cup.

When asked about the situation, the head coach of the Indian women's team, Amol Majumdar, stated that the team is in accordance with the BCCI's position. He emphasized that for India, the tournament is concluded, and the team is proud of the victory in the Asian Cup. Majumdar also noted that India was shown as the champion on the stadium's big screen. He added that the team's focus is now on the next major goal—the Asian Games.

www.aajtak.inSeptember 5, 13:24

India vs Pakistan match in Women's Asia Cup; past encounters recalled

The atmosphere is heating up at the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, and cricket fans' attention is once again focused on the anticipated blockbuster match between India and Pakistan. The clash between the teams is scheduled for Saturday, September 5th.

The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is demonstrating impressive form, securing confident victories in the first two games and thus ensuring their place in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Pakistan started its tournament with a victory over Thailand by a margin of 35 runs.

This match promises to be extremely tense, and viewers are ready to watch it on television. The game will take place at the International Stadium in Dubai, and all preparations for this highly anticipated event are complete. The match can be watched live today at 20:00 on Sony Sports Network.

History of confrontations: India's victory in 2024

Looking at the history of meetings between these two teams, the Indian team traditionally outperforms Pakistan. Nevertheless, in 2022, Pakistan managed an unexpected success by defeating India by a margin of 13 runs. However, after this incident, the Indian squad did not allow them to recover.

The last meeting between these two teams took place during the 2024 Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. In that match, the Indian team, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, achieved a convincing victory over the Pakistani team by 7 wickets. It is worth noting that India finished the game before 35 overs were left to be played.

Course of the 2024 match: Dominance of Indian bowlers

In the previous Asia Cup match, Pakistan decided to start the game by choosing batting after winning the toss. However, this move proved unsuccessful. The entire Pakistani team was dismissed for only 108 runs against the Indian bowlers. Quick deliveries from Indian bowler Pooja Vastrakar and short spells significantly impacted the Pakistani batsmen. The remaining runs were contributed by Renuka Singh Thakur and Dipti Sharma. Among the Pakistani players, Sidra Amin managed to score the most runs—25 runs.

India's response: Attack by Shafali and Mandhana

For the Indian team, chasing the relatively small target of 109 runs proved to be an easy task. The Indian opening pair, consisting of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, demonstrated superiority over the Pakistani bowlers. Both players together scored 85 runs in the first interval, allowing the team to easily cross the winning threshold.