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Hockey India, the governing body for the sport in the nation, confirmed that players representing the tricolour will not be stopped shake hands or exchange pleasantries ahead of their encounters against neighbouring nation Pakistan. The decision comes after players from India and Pakistan exchanged high-fives during the Sultan of Johor Cup, and will be implemented across age and gender categories. The Indian cricket team, both men and women, refused to shake hands with Pakistan players at the Asia Cup and the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 respectively, due to the rising tensions between the nations. Bhola Nath Singh, HI secretary general, informed that the association would follow the Olympic Charter and its international federation’s (FIH) principles in upcoming fixtures. “We are not governed by cricket. Whatever the cricketers did, it was their choice. We follow the Olympic Charter and what FIH says,” he said. “There are no such instructions, to avoid handshakes or high-fives from HI to its players. We have followed the spirit of the game. We never gave the players any directions in this regard,” he added. “In the future meetings with Pakistan, HI won’t give any directions to its players. We will play and look to win,” said Singh. The Secretary-General mentioned this during a function on November 7 to announce the preparations for the 100 years’ celebrations of Indian hockey. The main event will take place at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. A 30-minute exhibition match on November 7, featuring the Sports Minister’s XI and Hockey India’s mixed XI (men and women), will highlight gender parity, teamwork, and inclusivity, with players from both the men’s and women’s national teams participating.
