Uncertainty surrounds India's participation in South Asian Games

India has consistently demonstrated a pattern of obstructing and undermining Pakistan's efforts to host international sporting events, extending beyond cricket to other sports as well.

India did it's best to hurt Pakistan as the host nation of the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy by refusing to come for the event and instead featured in it under a hybrid model by playing all of it's matches in Dubai.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla said during his visit to Lahore a few days ago that their cricket board sends teams abroad after taking permission from the Indian government. And it's a reality especially when it comes to Pakistan.

When Pakistan was going to host the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup last year in Lahore and Multan, India's sports ministry had given NOC to the team but government stopped it from crossing the border at the eleventh hour.

India and Pakistan are the two major powers in blind cricket at the international level and after India's withdrawal it became a cake-walk for Pakistan to lift the trophy in the Blind World Cup.

The Indian government also stopped its kabaddi team from playing against Pakistan at the Kartarpur Corridor on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak last year and this decision was also taken at the eleventh hour. Pakistan had held camp for it but the last-minute pull out damaged everything. Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF), with the collaboration of Punjab government, had made all necessary arrangements for the series.

And, now, recently India also did not send its athletics team for the South Asian Cross Country Athletics Championship held in Islamabad on February 23.

Pakistan is going to host the 14th South Asian Games early next year and it would be interesting to see how India treats Pakistan on that front.

India attended the recently held meeting of the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) Executive Committee virtually but the things will become clear close to the event, which Pakistan will host from January 23-31, 2026.

The big question mark is if India is not ready to send even a single team to Pakistan, how it will become ready to send a big contingent for the South Asian Games?

The governments on both fronts will need to talk on this issue prior to the Games as it is a crucial competition for the region.

For India, the South Asian Games also don’t matter that much but it’s valuable for the rest of the nations of this region. India has produced Olympics and world medalists and has the sort of environment where its emerging athletes keep grooming and flourishing. Hence, the importance of South Asian Games is less for India as compared with other countries.

Additionally, India is clever when it comes to making its own events risk-free and successful.

When India was going to host the South Asian Games in 2016 at Guwahati and Shillong, as a goodwill gesture it had sent a delegation to Pakistan which carried government and sports bodies officials. It also visited the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad. It was a step to pave way for Pakistan's participation in the event and Pakistan, like always, sent it's contingent to India.

In order to ensure a full-fledged South Asian Games, Pakistan’s government will need to take initiative and enter into a dialogue with the Indian government to keep sports away from politics.

It’s not so simple to resolve this issue but at least best possible efforts will be needed to ensure both nations keep featuring in events featuring Olympic sports in each other’s countries.