Lahore: Claims by Indian media regarding an invitation to Bangladesh for the upcoming Asia Cup have been refuted, exposing a lack of official communication. According to sources within the Bangladesh Hockey Federation, no formal invitation has been extended by either Hockey India or the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

This development contradicts earlier reports from the Indian media, which, citing a Hockey India official, had claimed that Bangladesh was invited to participate in the tournament.

The same official had also asserted that Pakistan had refused to travel to India for the event. This claim was previously dismissed by Pakistan Hockey Federation President Tariq Bugti.

Sources from the Bangladesh Hockey Federation stated that while the team is on standby, forming and preparing a team on such short notice is a significant challenge. The federation will only consider participation once a formal invitation is received.

The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place from August 29 to September 7 in Rajgir, India. The controversy over the invitation has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the tournament’s final lineup.