Pakistan’s legendary dragflicker and Malaysia assistant coach Sohail Abbas has decided against traveling with the team for the hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, which will take place from August 29 to September 7. Abbas said that his decision to not come for the tournament wan’t linked with Pakistan pulling out of the competition.
The Asia Cup offers direct qualification for next year’s World Cup, scheduled in the Netherlands and Belgium. After he retired from hockey, Abbas maintained a low profile and took up the assistant coach role for penalty corners with the Malaysia team in 2024. Speaking to PTI, the legendary dragflicker said that he wasn’t travelling to India due to personal reasons.
“I am not coming for the Asia Cup, but there are some other personal reasons behind it,” said Abbas.
When asked if his decision was influenced by Pakistan’s call to skip the tournament, Abbas said that wasn’t the case.
“No, there is nothing like that. Even before this, I did not go with the team to Australia and China,” said Abbas.
Pakistan skips Asia Cup
Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup was uncertain following the Pahalgam attack in April and Operation Sindhoor. While the Indian government had agreed to provide visas for the Pakistani players for the tournament, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) declined to allow their players to travel, citing security concerns. Bangladesh ended up replacing Pakistan in the tournament.
Speaking about the Indian team, Abbas said that they are doing well and admitted his admiration for the drag flickers in the side.
“The team is doing well, and the drag flickers are also good,” he said.
Talking about India captain Harmanpreet Singh, Abbas said that the drag flicker is constantly improving and urged him to keep up the good work.
“He is playing very well, and it is good to see his performance improving continuously. I would advise him to stay on the same track and keep working hard like this,” said Abbas.
India will start their campaign on August 29 against China.
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