Pakistan’s participation in the first-ever Kho Kho World Cup has been halted due to visa issues. The tournament is slated to run from January 13-19 in New Delhi, India, but the Pakistani team did not receive their visas in time to make the trip. According to a report from The Indian Express, just days before the tournament’s commencement, it was confirmed that the Pakistani team had not yet received their visas. Originally, the event was scheduled to kick off with an India-Pakistan match at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Coincidentally, this is coming days after the rift between BCCI and PCB. Recently, India decided not to visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy cricket tournament, citing security concerns, which resulted in their matches being relocated to Dubai. PCB has also made a deal that they will not be sending the cricket teams to India for any ICC tournament.
Rising Tensions between India and Pakistan
For over a decade, sporting relations between India and Pakistan have been strained. However, there have been some positive developments recently. In 2023, Pakistan’s hockey and cricket teams visited India, and Indian teams, such as bridge and tennis, travelled to Pakistan, reflecting a slight easing of tensions through sports. After extensive discussions and last-minute adjustments to the schedule, Pakistan eventually participated in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup. They had also taken part in the SAFF Football Championship held in Bengaluru during the summer of 2023.
Changes to the opening match
Sudhanshu Mittal, a BJP leader and the president of the Kho Kho Federation of India, confirmed the visa delays. Consequently, the opening game will now feature the Indian men’s team going up against Nepal, replacing the anticipated match between the Indian women’s team and Pakistan.
39 Teams will play
The tournament was initially expecting 40 teams, but with the absence of Pakistan’s men and women teams, 39 teams will participate. Geeta Sudan, Chief Operating Officer of the Kho Kho World Cup, explained that the schedule had to be altered due to the Ministry of External Affairs not approving the visas in time. Despite Pakistan’s absence, the tournament will continue with 20 men’s and 20 women’s teams from 24 countries. The event aims to promote Kho Kho and elevate its status on the international stage.
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