ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan will participate in the third edition of the Inter­national Hockey Federa­tion (FIH) Hockey Nati­ons Cup for men which will be staged in Kuala Lu­m­pur from June 15 to 21.

The tournament will involve eight participating teams, with the winners qualifying for the 2025-26 FIH Hockey Pro League.

Besides Pakistan, the other participating teams include France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales, said a press release issued by the FIH.

Commenting on the announcement, president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation Subahan bin Kamal said, “The Malaysian Hockey Confederation is delighted and privileged to host the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2024-25 in Kuala Lumpur.”

FIH president Tayyab Ikram said, “On behalf of the FIH, I’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our Malaysian friends. I already wish everyone, and first and foremost the athletes, to make the most of this experience to grow, and reach the next level.”

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The FIH Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 with the aim of offering a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and giving the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League the next season, precisely.

The first two editions were played in Potchefstroom, South Africa (2022) and Gniezno, Poland (2024). The inaugural edition was won by South Africa while New Zealand claimed the title in the second edition.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025