In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and injured many, the government ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave the country and revoked their visas.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday.
Pakistan hockey team's disastrous performance in the Beijing Olympics has taken another toll with coach Naved Alam following chief coach Khawaja Zakauddin in stepping down from his post. Announcing his resignation, Alam said the Olympic debacle is a collective failure and the federation should not start a witch hunt of senior players.
Pakistan qualified for the 2025 Junior Hockey World Cup event after finishing runners-up in the Asia Cup held in Oman recently. They had lost the continental final to India 3-5.
The former Olympian acknowledged that while the PHF's financial situation was challenging and that players had faced delays in their travel allowances and daily subsistence payments, these issues did not justify abandoning the national team and bringing disrepute to the country.
Waiting for ministry confirmation, but good decision to give Pak the nod: Tirkey
Indian women's team has been relegated to the Nations Cup - a step down from the elite level they've been competing at. For Ireland, however, this is a breakthrough moment.
With India set to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia weighed in, stating that the decision on whether the two nations should compete against each other in sporting events must rest with the Government of India.
Dilip Tirkey, Adrian D'Souza, Gagan Ajit Singh, Sandeep Singh, Viren Rasquinha and Arjun Halappa will leave for Pakistan on September 5.
Pakistan will join Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, India, Netherlands, and Spain in the upcoming men's season of the FIH Hockey Pro League -- the seventh edition of the competition.
Former Olympian Islahuddin Siddique will be in charge of the national team till the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
In a fresh reshuffle in the Pakistan Hockey Federation, former Olympian Hasan Sardar was appointed selection committee chairman, while Brig (Retd) Manzoor Hussain Atif was named advisor to president Qasim Zia.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation said it has resumed talks with the Indian hockey authorities to have a bilateral series as soon as possible.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has threatened to pull out of next year's World Cup in India unless assured of "easy procurement" of visas and "top security" for its players at the event.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation on Wednesday recalled senior players Sohail Abbas, Rehan Butt and Zeeshan Ashraf, who had announced their retirement after the team finished bottom of the heap in the World Cup in India. The PHF also recalled Waseem Ahmed and Salman Akbar for a national camp, from June 20, in Karachi, to prepare for a tour of Europe ahead of the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
"We are very disappointed at the way the Azlan Shah Cup organisers have dropped us from the tournament and included England in our place," PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmad said on Thursday.
The national federations had planned to hold the eight-match Test series on a home-and-away basis during March and April.
Not only did the Indian High Commission issue visa to the players, the new sponsors have also released nine million Pakistani rupees to cover the team's expenses in the tournament to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16.
Italy are gearing up for their Twenty20 World Cup debut, hoping a strong showing next month will help the sport break into popular culture in a soccer-obsessed nation that does not have a natural cricket pitch.
Pakistan Hockey Federation has finally got clearance from the government to send its national junior team to Lucknow, India for the FIH Junior World Cup next month. A reliable source in the PHF said that the ministry of inter-provincial coordination has informed the federation that the government has given the NOC for participating in the December 8-18 Junior World Cup. "The PHF officials were anxious about getting the NOC to send its team to India next month as the FIH event is scheduled from December 8 to 18th and it is an important event for the future of Pakistan hockey. But now the ministry has informed the PHF that the government has given the clearance," the source said.
Pakistan head coach Muhammad Saqlain admitted that India are ahead of his side in terms of preparations.
A miffed Pakistan has threatened to pull out of the FIH Junior World Cup to be held in India later this year, a day after the Indian government has cancelled the proposed bilateral series between the two nations.
India will host Pakistan in a four-Test series after the Olympics.
The series was to be played in Malaysia.
The Secretary General of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Asif Bajwa also condoled the death of Singh.
Waseem Ahmed replaces Mohammad Nadeem as the capatin of the Pakistan hockey team in the forthcoming Test series against India.
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
Pakistan hockey chief coach Shahnaz Shaikh has claimed that there was a conspiracy plotted against his team following the suspension of Mohammad Tousiq and Amjad Ali meted out in the recently held Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar.
India and Pakistan will play a six-match hockey Test series between February 15 and 25
With a bilateral test series planned for March-April, the Pakistan Hockey Federation wants to enter into an agreement with Hockey India under which the party found to be defaulting will be liable to pay the other federation a compensation of $200,000 dollars.
The World Cup will begin in Bhubaneswar from November 28 and Rizwan said his team is well prepared to handle the pressures during the prestigious tournament.
Caldas, Aikman in fray for Indian head coach's position
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Friday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the India and Pakistan clash in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
HI Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh suggested that if the Pakistan hockey team can come to India, then the Men in Blue should also tour their neighbouring country.
The PHF is considering inviting the team for a nine-nation tournament in December.
Eight senior Pakistani players have been summoned by the Pakistan Hockey Federation for a disciplinary hearing on May 7 for participating in the unsanctioned World Series Hockey in India.
The Indian men's hockey team dished out a dominant performance to launch its title defence with a commanding 3-0 win over hosts China in the Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China on Sunday.
Hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan is of the opinion that Indian hockey is run on the whims of FIH and there was no need to have a foreign coach on board.
India's Harmanpreet Singh was crowned as Men's Player Of The Year and his former compatriot PR Sreejesh was named Men's Goalkeeper Of The Year, announced the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday.
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