Pakistan Confers Gold Medal on Mohsin Naqvi for Asia Cup Trophy Incident

Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president, and Interior Minister, is set to be awarded the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal for his “principled and courageous stance” during the Asia Cup final trophy handover controversy, organisers said.

The announcement was made by Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, President of the Sindh and Karachi Basketball Associations, who praised Naqvi for “restoring national pride” amid heightened political and sporting tensions with India.

Naqvi made international headlines when Indian players refused to receive the Asia Cup trophy from him, a move widely interpreted as a political snub. In response, he retained the trophy and later stated on social media that the Indian team was “welcome” to collect it from ACC headquarters “if they truly want it.” He added, “I did nothing wrong, and I did not — and will not — apologise to the BCCI.”

The decision to award him one of Pakistan’s top civil honours has drawn praise across the country’s political and sports circles, seen as both a symbolic gesture and a statement of sovereignty.

Ceremony in Karachi
A formal award ceremony is being planned in Karachi, with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari invited as chief guest. A special committee, led by Sindh Basketball Association Chairman Khalid Jameel Shamsi and with Commissioner Karachi Ghulam Muhammad Khan as secretary, will oversee the event.

“This is not just about cricket,” Jamal said. “This is about dignity, sovereignty, and the refusal to bend under pressure.”

Asia Cup Trophy Row and Diplomatic Fallout
The controversy unfolded amid rising political tensions. India enforced a strict “no handshake” protocol with Pakistani players during the Asia Cup, which it ultimately won. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has raised the matter at the ACC annual meeting and may take it to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in November.

The incident coincided with deteriorating bilateral relations following the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 Indian tourists dead, and India’s subsequent military strikes on alleged militant camps across the border under “Operation Sindoor.”