NEW DELHI: Moving away from the stance taken by the country’s cricketers, the Indian junior men’s hockey team interacted with their Pakistan counterparts during the Sultan of Johor Cup on Tuesday.
The India and Pakistan U-21 hockey players exchanged handshakes and high-fives during the Sultan of Johor Cup, contrasting recent tensions in cricket and other sports. The match ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. pic.twitter.com/MJpgzawdyu
Videos and photos that have circulated show U-21 players from both sides exchanging greetings and high fives, a noticeable contrast to the “no handshake” row that dominated headlines recently.
This follows the men’s and women’s cricket teams of India avoiding handshakes during the Asia Cup in the UAE and a World Cup match in Colombo, months after the Pahalgam terrorist attack and India’s retaliatory ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan.
India and Pakistan faced each other three times in the Asia Cup without any post-match handshakes, a practice the women’s team also followed during their World Cup match at a neutral venue.
India’s refusal to accept the Asia Cup winner’s trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi sparked a diplomatic row, with Pakistan lodging an official protest with the ACC and the ICC. Naqvi, also PCB chief and Pakistan’s interior minister, walked away with the trophy instead of handing it over.
The BCCI justified the team’s actions, saying India could not accept the trophy from someone “waging a war against the country.”
In Tuesday’s match, India drew 3-3 against Pakistan in their third group-stage encounter of the tournament. India came back from a two-goal deficit only for Pakistan to strike late, leaving both sides to share the points and India still undefeated in the tournament.
(PTI Inputs)
