New Delhi: The International Hockey Federation on Wednesday announced Oman as Pakistan’s replacement in the Men’s Junior World Cup, which is scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 10 in Chennai and Madurai.
The FIH, in a statement, said that after Pakistan notified the federation that they would not accept the invitation to participate in the upcoming Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025, Oman’s Junior team will replace them in the event.
“The Men’s Junior team of Oman will now join the list of participating teams for this event that will take place from 28 November to 10 December 2025 in the cities of Chennai and Madurai, India,” the FIH said in a statement.
24 teams to participate in Junior World Cup
Oman will join the tournament as the next highest placed team in the 2024 Junior Asia Cup 2024, which was the qualifying event for the World Cup. For the first time, 24 men’s and women’s teams will compete in the FIH Junior World Cups 2025.
Pakistan were placed in Group B along with India, Chile, and Switzerland. This is the second time that Pakistan have pulled out from the tournament, which is hosted by India. Previously, Pakistan had withdrawn from the men’s Asia Cup in Bihar, which was held from August 29 to September 7 this year.
The relation between India and Pakistan has worsened after the Indian armed forces conducted Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians. The operation involved a coordinated assault on terrorist camps in Pakistan, executed jointly by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The Indian government recently announced a new policy under which its teams will not engage in bilateral sporting contests with Pakistan but will continue to compete against them in multi-nation tournaments.
During the 2025 Asia Cup, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with his Pakistan captain, Salman Ali Agha. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) expressed its willingness to participate in the tournament at a neutral venue, which was rejected by the FIH.