Hyderabad: Pakistan are set to miss the first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 as they were unable to travel due to visa issues. The opening fixture of the tournament was supposed to be a mouthwatering contest between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. However, the latter are likely to miss the competition as their visa approval is delayed according to a report by The Indian Express.
A press release from the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) further hinted on the absence of Pakistan. The release stated that the Indian men’s team will take on Nepal on January 13 in the tournament opener instead of the Indian women's team taking on Pakistan as planned earlier.
According to the release, the number of participating teams was reduced to 39 from the earlier announced number of 40.
“When we made the schedule, we had hoped for it to go as planned. But this is not really in our control, the Ministry of External Affairs have not approved their application so it seems like they are unlikely to play,” Geeta Sudan, COO of the Kho Kho World Cup, told Indian Express.
The opening ceremony of the tournament will be held on January 13, 2025 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
Pakistan’s absence from the first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup is another blow to the strained sporting ties between the neighbouring countries. Recently, there was a dispute between the two nations over the hosting of the Champions Trophy as the Indian cricket team refused to travel to play in the tournament.
