The Indian Olympic Association formally wrote to Asian Games organisers in Japan on September 16, 2026, requesting that no Pakistani official be present at medal ceremonies involving India’s cricket teams.
The request follows a clear pattern of India declining to receive trophies from Pakistani counterparts at international cricket events and represents the most direct institutional step yet to formalise that stance ahead of a multi-sport competition.
As reported by MyKhel, the immediate trigger was India Women defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final on September 13, 2026, in Dubai, after which the players declined to collect the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi. Naqvi holds the dual role of ACC President and Pakistan’s Interior Minister and also chairs the Pakistan Cricket Board. BCCI Chairman Devajit Saikia confirmed the refusal was rooted in Naqvi’s position.
“We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan,” Saikia said, as quoted by MyKhel.
A comparable situation arose in September 2025, when India’s men’s team declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after defeating Pakistan in the final. On that occasion, the presentation ceremony was held up for well over an hour and concluded without the customary handover.
Why has India adopted this position at cricket events?
Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply after armed attackers killed 26 men in Pahalgam, Kashmir on April 22, 2025. Since then, bilateral cricket between the two sides has ceased, and they meet only in ICC and ACC tournaments held at neutral venues.
The no-handshake policy has also been in effect across matches. India’s women’s team observed this during their group-stage victory over Pakistan at the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 in September 2026, with players refraining from the pre- and post-match exchanges that are customary at international fixtures. The BCCI has formally endorsed both the trophy refusal and the broader conduct policy, making clear that these decisions are institutional rather than individual choices made by players on the field.
How does the Asian Games request affect India’s cricket schedule?
India’s women’s team enters the Asian Games cricket tournament at the quarterfinal stage, which means their earliest possible meeting with Pakistan would come in a gold or bronze medal match. Both India’s men’s and women’s teams have been drawn in separate groups from Pakistan, so a contest between the two sides can only take place once medals are at stake.
The Indian Olympic Association’s request is therefore targeted specifically at medal ceremonies, where the presence of a Pakistani official could recreate the friction seen at the Asia Cup finals in 2025 and 2026. By writing to organisers in advance, the IOA is seeking to resolve the protocol question before any such match is played rather than allowing a repeat of the prolonged delay that disrupted the 2025 men’s final presentation. The exact dates of the Asian Games cricket medal ceremonies and whether India and Pakistan will face each other in a medal match remain unconfirmed.
