Srinagar: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India has officially cleared Team India to participate in the Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled to begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where arch-rivals Pakistan will also compete.
The highly anticipated encounter between India and Pakistan is set to take place on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The official decision was announced via a statement from the Sports Ministry, amid calls for a boycott due to the strained relations between the two countries.
According to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the country will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral engagements, but will allow Pakistani players to participate in multilateral events hosted by the country.
“In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry’s statement said while revealing a new policy.
“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events,” the statement added.
The ministry also noted that the Indian team and individual players will participate in international events that also feature teams or players from Pakistan.
“Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.”
However, the statement did not specify whether Indian athletes would be permitted to travel to Pakistan for multilateral events.
The statement emphasized a smooth visa process for the athletes, team officials, technical staff, and representatives of the sports governing bodies.