Pakistan has not issued clearance to its women footballers to play a crucial south Asian tournament hosted by India amid the ongoing geopolitical tension between the two rival nations.
India is set to host the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) between 25 May and 7 June after a decade in the coastal state of Goa. The top teams will battle it out at Fatorda Stadium in Goa, as five-time champions India look to reclaim the title on home soil.
A Pakistan Football Federation spokesperson told Al Jazeera that they have not been issued no objection certificates by the relevant authorities, without giving the reason for the decision.
Pakistan was missing from the schedule of the SAFF Women’s Championship, unveiled on Wednesday, with the official draw held in Dhaka placing the remaining teams into two groups.
The competition will feature Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and defending champions Bangladesh.
Athletes in Pakistan are required to secure NOCs from government authorities before travelling abroad for competitions, effectively making clearance a prerequisite for participation.
This is the latest setback to India-Pakistan ties following last year’s four-day war.
The four-day escalation in May 2025, triggered by a deadly militant attack in Kashmir, saw artillery exchanges, drone incursions and limited air operations, marking one of the most serious confrontations between the nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years.
The fallout has extended beyond diplomacy into trade, cultural exchanges and sport.
Economic, trade and cultural ties, already minimal, were further restricted. It has also spilled into sports.
Cricket, the most popular game in both countries, remained particularly affected as Pakistani players do not feature in the Indian Premier League, while Indian players are absent from the Pakistan Super League, reflecting a broader freeze in bilateral sporting ties.
The SAFF’s release of the tournament schedule came as India marked the first anniversary of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in its Kashmir region, the deadliest terror attack in the valley that killed 26 people. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, a charge Islamabad continues to deny.
The SAFF Women’s Championship, held roughly every two years since its inaugural edition in 2010, was last staged in Nepal in 2024, where Bangladesh defeated the hosts 2–1 in the final.
Pakistan endured a difficult campaign, losing 5–2 to India and drawing with Bangladesh, failing to progress beyond the group stage.
