The terrorist act in Pahalgam has affected almost every sphere where India and Pakistan are involved—including sports. The latest move is India pulling out of the Central Asian Volleyball Championship at Islamabad in May, which the Pakistan volleyball federation has confirmed.
The SAAF Senior Athletics meet, scheduled to be hosted by the Athletics Federation of India in Ranchi on May 5, in which Pakistan were supposed to compete, has been postponed. The event’s future is uncertain, because the AFI has left the decision at the foreign and sports ministries’ doorsteps. These are not normal times—when lives are at stake, sporting ties are bound to be affected.
Olympic and world championship medallist Neeraj Chopra, who had invited Arshad Nadeem two days before the Pahalgam shooting, was trolled online. He took to social media to express sadness that his “love for the country and the honour of my family are being questioned”.
Not just volleyball and athletics, some other major sports are also going to be affected over the next 12 months. India is co-hosting the T20 World Cup next February; the women’s ODI World Cup is scheduled in India later this year. Then there is the Asia Cup for men. Because of the fixture’s massive fan following, the organisers and broadcasters would have wanted the two nations to play each other.
Pakistan have already said they would not play in India. It needs to be seen if the international and Asian cricket councils want the two to play in different groups. Security would remain a big concern.
Sports and politics seem inseparable. The 2022 football World Cup was laced with political undertones. Even last year’s Paris Olympics, despite the International Olympic Committee’s efforts, became a reflection of the geopolitical divides of our times.
Both India and Pakistan have used sport as a diplomatic tool earlier—either for furthering relations or restricting cross-border contact. When India sent their tennis team to Pakistan last year after six decades, it was seen as an easing of tensions. Pakistani players have also visited India for hockey, squash and athletics in the last couple of years. But without peace, sports will take a backseat.