India said it was ready to allow Pakistani athletes to participate in multilateral competitions held on its soil as New Delhi looks to carve a niche for itself on the world sporting stage
India’s youth affairs and sports ministry stated in a document seen by AFP on Wednesday that bilateral sporting engagements including cricket with its arch-rival would remain off the table.
They competed in a brutal war last year, and they haven’t played a bilateral cricket series involving both since 2007. The athletes never face each other otherwise, in either global or regional tournaments.
India is also supposed to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 but has made an aggressive bid to host the Olympic Games in 2036 and even the Asian Games in 2038, bids aimed at showing its credentials as a growing sporting power.
“Indian teams and individual players will continue to participate in those events, wherein Pakistan also participates as per the approach of international federations/ governing bodies & ethic of sportsmanship / spirit of sport,” said the ministry.
It also said Pakistani players and teams would be allowed to participate in multilateral events organized by India, and that visa processes for athletes, officials and media personnel would be “streamlined.”
Visa delays for Pakistani players have stirred criticism of India’s host obligations from global bodies in recent years.