Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will be honoured in Pakistan in the controversy over the trophy after the Asia Cup 2025 final. According to reports, Naqvi will be awarded the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal for his firm and principled stance against India.
After winning the Asia Cup title, the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi (who is also Pakistan’s Home Minister). After this incident, Mohsin Naqvi left the field with the trophy after waiting on the stage for a long time and the Indian players celebrated the victory without the trophy.
Amidst the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) demanding that Naqvi be removed from the stadium and removed from the post of ACC President, Naqvi’s stance has remained firm. He posted on social media platform ‘X’, writing, ‘As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy on the same day and I am ready even now. If they (Indian team) really want it, they can come to the ACC office and take it from me. I have done nothing wrong and I will not apologize to BCCI.’
Naqvi’s stance has been highly appreciated in Pakistan’s political and sports community. The announcement of the gold medal was made by Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, President of Sindh and Karachi Basketball Association. He said, ‘Naqvi’s move “has restored national pride amidst rising political and sports tensions with India.’ PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is likely to be the chief guest at the awards ceremony.
The decision to award Mohsin Naqvi a gold medal amid the controversy reflects the support his stance has received from Pakistan’s political and sports community.
