Hockey India won’t stop handshakes with Pakistan teams

New Delhi: Hockey India (HI) on Monday clarified that it would not prevent its senior and junior men’s and women’s teams from shaking hands or exchanging high-fives with Pakistan sides in future international competitions and multisport events. The clarification followed controversy over India’s junior hockey players indulging in high-fives with their Pakistan counterparts during the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia last month. The social media reaction was divided over the sporting gesture after the Indian men’s cricket team refused to shake hands with Pakistan during the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE, in solidarity with the Pahalgam terror victims. The women’s cricket team also avoided customary handshakes with Pakistan players during its league game at the Women’s World Cup. HI secretary general Bhola Nath Singh told TOI on Monday that the association would follow the Olympic Charter and its international federation’s (FIH) principles in upcoming fixtures. “We are not governed by cricket. Whatever the cricketers did, it was their choice. We follow the Olympic Charter and what FIH says. There are no such instructions (to avoid handshakes or high-fives) from HI to its players. We have followed the spirit of the game. We never gave the players any directions (in this regard).

In the future meetings with Pakistan, HI won’t give any directions to its players. We will play and look to win,” said Singh on the sidelines of a function to announce the preparations for 100 years’ celebrations of Indian hockey on Nov 7. The main function will be held at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. A 30-minute exhibition match on Nov 7 featuring the sports minister’s XI and HI’s mixed XI (men & women) will highlight gender parity, teamwork, and inclusivity, with players from both the men’s and women’s national teams participating.