DUBAI: India’s women’s cricket team declined to collect the Women’s Asia Cup championship trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi following their 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in Dubai.
According to sources, despite securing the title on the field, the Indian squad left the playing area and did not return for the official presentation ceremony because tournament protocol mandates that the winning team receive the trophy directly from the ACC President.
This mirrors a similar incident from the previous year when the Indian men’s team reportedly refused to accept a trophy from Mohsin Naqvi following a final match.
Consequently, an unusual scene unfolded at the Dubai International Stadium as Mohsin Naqvi and tournament officials waited on stage for the presentation, while the Indian players delayed entering the ground to receive the silverware.
The intersection of politics and sports in India has experienced a profound shift under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which has increasingly utilized athletic platforms to project muscular nationalism, project domestic political narratives, and assert geopolitical postures.
Under the current administration, bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan have been effectively frozen, with national cricket teams strictly restricted from playing across the border and permitted to meet only during multi-nation neutral venue tournaments under immense political oversight.
This hardline stance frequently translates into administrative friction at international sports bodies, where diplomatic tensions, scheduling disputes, and protocol boycotts routinely overshadow athletic achievements.
Critics argue that sports diplomacy has been sidelined in favor of domestic political posturing, transforming international tournaments into arenas for diplomatic signaling.
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While supporters praise the government’s uncompromising posture as a reflection of national sovereignty and security priorities, sports analysts warn that blending state-level hostility with athletic administration sets a damaging precedent, eroding the foundational spirit of sportsmanship and threatening the collaborative governance required to sustain international sports institutions.
