Setting aside the recent handshake controversy from the cricket field, Pakistan and India’s junior hockey teams displayed exemplary sportsmanship during their Sultan of Johor Cup match on Tuesday.
The high-voltage encounter between the two arch-rivals ended in a 3-3 draw, with Pakistan’s goals coming from Sufyan Khan (2) and Hannan Shahid (1).
Before the start of the match, players from both sides lined up for their national anthems and greeted each other with traditional high-fives, a gesture that stood in stark contrast to the tensions seen in recent cricket encounters between the two nations.
In the 2025 Asia Cup and ICC Women’s World Cup, Indian players had drawn criticism for refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, a move widely viewed as unsporting and politically motivated.
Reports at the time suggested that the Indian men’s cricket team had acted on directions from New Delhi, with captain Suryakumar Yadav declining to shake hands with Pakistan’s skipper after the Asia Cup match on September 14 in the UAE.
The gesture was repeated during their subsequent meetings on September 21 and 28, and later mirrored in the women’s tournament in Colombo on October 5.
However, on Tuesday in Johor Bahru, junior hockey players from both countries set a refreshing example of mutual respect and sportsmanship, effectively putting an end to the handshake row that had marred cricket ties between the two sides.
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