The Union Sports Ministry is learnt to have clarified that Pakistan’s hockey teams will not be stopped from competing in the Asia Cup next month and the junior World Cup to be held later this year in India as any move to bar them from playing in these tournaments would be a violation of the Olympic Charter.

The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Rajgir, Bihar from August 27 to September 7. The junior World Cup, on the other hand, will be conducted in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10.

“We are not against any team competing in India in a multi-national competition. If we try to stop Pakistan, it would be seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter. But bilateral is different, and there will be no relaxation on that front,” said a Union Sports Ministry official.

The Charter is on the lines of the constitution of the Olympic movement and stresses on sport as a tool for promoting international peace and cooperation. Consequently, any move to block a rival country from a multi-national event can adversely affect the host nation’s future hosting rights.

Going by this development, India might just allow Pakistan to play in the cricket Asia Cup in September. The Sports Ministry official, however, said the BCCI is yet to reach out to the ministry on this. “We will address this query when they approach us,” he said.

The official said international sports demands that “we cannot back out from competing in multi-national competitions”. “Take for instance, Russia and Ukraine, they are at war but they show up at multi-national events and compete as well.”

Welcoming the decision, Hockey India (HI) secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said, “Our stance from the beginning was that whatever the government decides we will abide by it. There is no other argument in that.”