Indian hockey players reveal why they refused to follow no-handshake policy with Pakistan: 'Didn’t see them as enemies'

The Indian men's junior hockey team had made headlines recently after high-fiving their Pakistani opponents in the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia earlier this month. The gesture, after all, was in direct contrast with the no-handshake policy maintained by Indian cricketers – male as well as female – in high-profile tournaments over the past couple of months.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue had ignored their arch-rivals in each of their three meetings in last month's Asia Cup in the UAE in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack, with the Harmanpreet Kaur-led women's team following suit in the Women's World Cup showdown in Colombo.

Also Read | India’s no-handshake controversy sparks mockery from Australian cricketers ahead of ODI series

More from Hockey News

The Sultan of Johor Cup meeting between the two South Asian neighbours, however, did not have any such drama with the players exchanging high-fives in the hard-fought contest that ended in a 3-3 draw.

Indian players saw Pakistanis as 'players just like us'

Members of the Indian team, who would go on to finish runners-up in the tournament after losing to Australia in the final, later revealed that they did not see the Pakistanis as their enemies but as "players just like us".

"It wasn’t like we were told not to shake hands. As players, we all play with hard work and dedication, and we didn’t see them as enemies or anything like that. That’s why we shook hands. They’re players just like us,” midfielder Rosan Kujur told The Times of India.

"With Pakistan, it’s always about winning. We have to beat them. But in the end, it turned out to be a draw. Still, it was a good match," added defender Sunil PB.

It wasn't just hockey players who had deviated from the no-handshake policy – members of the junior men's football team had also shook hands with their opponents in during the SAFF U-17 Championship showdown between India and Pakistan in Colombo last month.