The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has advised its national team to stay calm and avoid any argument or emotional reaction during their Sultan of Johor Cup match against India on Tuesday in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The players have been told to focus only on their game, as their federation expects no handshakes from the Indian side before or after the match.
A senior PHF official said the players arementally prepared for such a situation. “The players have been told that if the Indian players don’t shake hands before or after the match, just ignore the gesture and move on. They have also been told to avoid any emotional tussles during the game,” the official said.
This instruction has come after recent tension between the countries. During the Asia Cup cricket tournament, the Indian team did not shake hands with the Pakistani players. This led Pakistan to file a protest with the Asian Cricket Council and the International Cricket Council. They accused the Indian players of violating the spirit of the game and also asked to suspend the match referee on duty that day.In the ongoing Women’s World Cup also, the Indian team didn’t exchange pleasantries with the Pakistani players.
Pakistan started the hockey tournament with an impressive 7–1 win over Malaysia, but lost their second match against Great Britain. The team did not travel to India earlier this year for the men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, where Bangladesh took their place.
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