Asia Cup 2025- Indian Sports Minister breaks silence after pressure rises to boycott Pakistan

Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Labour and Employment and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of India, finally broke his silence on the hate for the government for allowing the India vs Pakistan game in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor.

Apart from several former Indian cricketers, many Indian politicians have slammed the government’s decision to allow India to face Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. From Aditya Thackeray to Priyanka Chaturvedi, the Sports Minister has written to boycott the India vs Pakistan game.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya defends India vs Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025

The reason behind their rage was the Pahalgam terror attack, where several innocents lost their lives, and later the Indian Armed Forces demolished the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) under Operation Sindoor.

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Many felt the upcoming India vs Pakistan game at the Asia Cup 2025 would be a betrayal of the country, the brave martyrs, and the innocents killed in the Pahalgam attack. Given that, the former Indian cricketers and politicians urged the BCCI and the government to boycott the match.

Reacting to the anger among the Indians, Mansukh Mandaviya made it clear that India has a strict “no bilateral matches” policy with Pakistan, which means there will be no bilateral series between the two nations, but they have to participate in the multilateral tournaments.

We're not playing bilateral cricket with Pakistan: Mansukh Mandaviya

Mansukh Mandaviya was quoted as saying by CNNNews18: “No, let me clarify—we are not playing bilateral cricket with Pakistan.

The Government of India has already declared a clear policy: there will be no bilateral sporting events between India and Pakistan. However, in multilateral tournaments—whether it is the Asia Cup, Commonwealth Games, or any other international event—we are bound to follow the Olympic Charter.”

He further explained, “The Olympic Charter clearly states that no country can prevent another from participating in multilateral sporting events. While a nation can decide whether or not to take part themselves, they cannot block another country’s participation or deny visas. If we were to do so, our Olympic Association and sports federations could face sanctions. That is why we do not stop participation in multilateral events.”

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Tricolor must fly high on the field and at the borders: Sports Minister

Meanwhile, the Sports Minister has pointed out that if India withdraws from Asia Cup 2025, it automatically gives Pakistan a victory even without competing, and that they don’t want it, as it will not only be “unfair to the athletes” but also damage the country’s “reputation.”

So, India wants its players to go out, participate, and win so that the tricolor flag flies high on the “sports field and at the borders.” Mandaviya signed off by saying, “Our athletes should participate and bring victories for India, ensuring that our flag flies high on the global stage. We want our teams to become champions and prove their strength. That is our commitment, and that is what we will continue to demonstrate.”

pic.twitter.com/S7EUQKQN9t The Sports Minister is being fact free in his defence for cricket with Pakistan.
Cricket tournaments don’t come under Olympics Charter
For the sake of argument even if they do there are several instances of boycott and ban which I have shared multiple…

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) August 24, 2025

Notably, the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match is scheduled for September 14 in Dubai, with the Men in Blue kicking off their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE on September 10.