The Tribune Editorial: The BCCI has described it as a conscious institutional step
INDIA’s women cricketers won the Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time on Sunday, but the tournament ended on a bitter note as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team skipped the presentation ceremony. In a replay of the 2025 men’s Asia Cup, India refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Amid a sharp deterioration in India-Pakistan relations after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, the decision reflects a political reality that has increasingly entered the sporting arena. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has described it as a conscious institutional step, taken in view of prevailing circumstances and public sentiment.
The episode raises an uncomfortable question: should politics be allowed to cast such a long shadow over sport? India’s participation in the Asia Cup while declining the trophy marks a carefully drawn distinction. As BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia pointed out, fulfilling sporting commitments and accepting an award from a particular official are separate matters. The board believes that it can uphold the spirit of the game while refusing a ceremonial interaction it considers inappropriate.
Sport offers competitors a chance to face each other on the field despite differences between their nations. When award ceremonies become an extension of diplomatic disputes, athletes run the risk of being used as pawns or reluctant participants in a political slugfest. The Indian women were head and shoulders above their rivals throughout the Asia Cup. Their sterling performance should not have been eclipsed by bilateral tensions. If the pattern continues, tournament organisers must find an alternative mechanism to avoid such embarrassment. Cricket would be better served if, at future events, the trophy presentation remains the centrepiece of the celebrations.
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Source: www.tribuneindia.com
