Pakistan To Honour Mohsin Naqvi With ‘Gold Medal’ For ‘Stealing’ Asia Cup Trophy
In a bizarre and provocative new twist to the Asia Cup trophy saga, Pakistan is reportedly set to honour its cricket chief, Mohsin Naqvi, with a special gold medal for his “firm and principled stance” during the trophy handover controversy with India. Naqvi, who is also the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), sparked an unprecedented crisis when he walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after the Indian team refused to accept it from him following their final victory over Pakistan.
According to Pakistani media reports, Naqvi will be awarded the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal in Karachi. The award, announced by the Karachi Basketball Association, is being given to celebrate his defiant posture against Indian demands. The award ceremony is expected to be a grand affair, with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari slated to be the chief guest.This development comes as Naqvi himself has doubled down on his position.
In a post on X, he vehemently denied reports that he had apologised to the BCCI during a recent ACC meeting. “Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so,” he wrote. He reiterated his demand that if the Indian team wants the trophy, they are “welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
The controversy began at the conclusion of the Asia Cup final on September 28, when the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side, citing political tensions, stated they would not receive the trophy from Naqvi, who holds a senior position in the Pakistani government. In response, Naqvi had the trophy and medals removed from the presentation area, leaving the champion team empty-handed. The BCCI strongly objected to this act at the subsequent ACC meeting, but the standoff has only deepened, with Naqvi’s impending award in Pakistan turning the dispute into a matter of national honour.
