Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed he will not travel to Japan for the conclusion of the cricket tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The announcement comes ahead of the men’s gold-medal final between rivals India and Pakistan, scheduled for Saturday. The bronze-medal play-off between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will precede the gold-medal match.
In a statement released on Friday, the ACC confirmed Naqvi’s absence, noting that he extends his best wishes to all four teams competing for medals. Naqvi, who also serves as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, cited professional commitments as the reason for his inability to travel to Nagoya. He expressed that while he cannot attend in person, he remains eager to follow the high-stakes action from afar.
The decision helps avoid a repeat of the controversy that surfaced during the recent Women’s Asian Cup, where the Indian women’s team declined to accept the championship trophy from Naqvi. Medal presentation protocols for the Asian Games are determined by the Olympic Council of Asia alongside the local organizing committee, AINAGOC. Given the diplomatic sensitivity, organisers are keen to avoid any situations that might place the Indian delegation in an uncomfortable position. According to as, On September 19, the recent Women’s Asian Cup controversy, after the Indian women team declined to take trophy from him, was not going to be repeated in Japan.
This caution aligns with the current warm diplomatic ties between India and Japan. The two nations recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, highlighted by a historic bilateral cricket match on September 22. This encounter was particularly significant in global cricket, as it featured world champions India facing off against Japan, an Associate nation currently ranked 41st, marking an unprecedented sporting occasion for both countries.
