According to reports, if the Olympic Council of Asia appoints Mohsin Naqvi to present medals at the Asian Games 2026, Indian athletes would be required to accept their medals from him. Naqvi is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
After winning the Asia Cup title on Sunday, the Indian women’s team refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi. The Indian men’s team had taken a similar position last year.
However, the situation at the Asian Games is different because the tournament is conducted under the rules of the Olympic Council of Asia. According to Article 66 of the OCA Constitution, the right to award medals to winners rests with the OCA president. The president can delegate this responsibility to another representative or member.
If the OCA president officially appoints Naqvi to distribute medals, Indian athletes would have to accept the medals from him. Refusing to do so could be considered disrespect towards the Games, the OCA and its representative, potentially leading to disciplinary action.
The rules also clearly state that any form of political, religious or racial protest or demonstration is prohibited during medal ceremonies.
Against this backdrop, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is maintaining a cautious position on the issue. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia avoided commenting on the controversy and said, “Our entire focus is only on our matches. The teams first have to reach the podium (final/medal round). When that time comes, we will look at the circumstances at that moment and take the appropriate decision. When the river comes, we will cross it. The board and the players are focused only on winning matches. We do not want to comment on something that has not happened yet.”
With the Asian Games 2026 being played in Aichi-Nagoya, the possibility of Naqvi being assigned a medal presentation role has introduced a new layer to the issue. For the Indian teams, any such situation would have to be addressed within the rules governing the Games and its medal ceremonies.
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