The Pakistan Hockey Team has finally been granted NOC to travel for the Asian Champions Trophy in India. There were many uncertainties regarding whether the team would be permitted to venture out and compete in the prestigious tournament.
They were rumours that the team would not travel due to high political tensions between Pakistan and India causing the team not to make the flight to its neighbouring country.
What Caused the Issue?
There were many theories as to why the Pakistan Hockey team looked like they were not going to end up playing in the tournament later on. This was due to the Pakistani government not giving the final stamp of approval even though the Interior Ministry had given their approval. With time not on their side as the team had been scheduled to depart on the 31st of July certainly added more pressure. The PHF was struggling to gain clearance to facilitate their travel toward their Arch Nemesis.
There could be many reasons as to why the Government was thinking about this decision but no official reason has been disclosed. Many have concluded that it was due to heavy political affairs between Pakistan and India causing a lot of tension between all parties involved but one can say to leave politics outside of sporting affairs. Similar problems had emerged for the football team of Pakistan when they were about to travel to Bengaluru but they had also struggled to gain clearance with NOC to travel.
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Can The Pakistan Hockey Team Be Successful in the Asian Champions Trophy?
Now that the approval has been granted and the team is scheduled to fly in just under 2 days. Speculation has been shifted as to whether the side can be successful in winning the tournament after all the hardships it has faced just to participate in it. The Asian Champions Trophy features the best Asian sides across all sports but hockey is certainly the most talented and most watched of the bunch. Pakistan will face India on August 9 while the tournament will start on August the 3rd.
The team will need to get off to a strong start to compete for the trophy as this will be pivotal for not only warm-up but a psychological advantage as the Asian Games are right around the corner. Hopefully, we will be able to taste sweet victory in India for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy.
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