Pakistan qualify for Junior World Cup as Asia Cup is cancelled

KARACHI: The Junior Asia Cup 2021 which had been postponed twice due to Covid-19 has been cancelled by Asia Hockey Federation (AHF), which means Pakistan got direct qualification for the Junior Hockey World Cup, ‘The News’ learnt on Saturday.

PHF sources confirmed to this scribe that Junior Asia Cup 2021 had been cancelled and Pakistan got direct qualification for the Junior World Cup, likely to be held in December this year in India.

Sources informed this scribe that Pakistan would get direct qualification due to their previous qualification for the Junior World Cup.

The Covid situation in the region is still not under control, so it was decided that Junior Asia Cup be cancelled and those teams which had qualified for the previous Junior World Cup be declared qualified.

It is expected that the Junior World Cup will be organised in Assam, India in December.

Sources in the PHF said Pakistan juniors would start preparation for the World Cup as soon as the federal government softened the Covid restrictions.

It was also learnt that the chances of Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2021, which was scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from October 1-9, are also low. Neither the AHF nor Bangladesh Hockey Association has contacted PHF so far for any details of board and lodging of the team in Bangladesh.

Now PHF has started preparation for its domestic events.

The PHF is organising Pakistan’s first 5-a-side women championship in Lahore from September 18- 22. A total of 13 teams are participating in the event.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) hockey championship will be held in Karachi at Abdul Sattar Edhi stadium from September 18. The top eight teams of the country will participate in the championship.