Mohsin Naqvi Issue Raises New Question for India at Asian Games

The controversy surrounding India’s Asia Cup trophy presentation has now raised a new question ahead of the cricket events at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

India are competing in both the men’s and women’s cricket tournaments and enter the Games as the defending champions in both events. However, attention has shifted to the potential medal presentation ceremony and whether Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi could have a role in it.

The Asia Cup Controversy

India recently won the Women’s Asia Cup after defeating Sri Lanka in the final, but the Indian team did not accept the trophy from Naqvi during the official presentation ceremony.

A similar situation had occurred during the 2025 men’s Asia Cup. The repeated controversy has now led to questions about whether a similar issue could arise at the Asian Games.

However, the two competitions operate under different structures.

The Asia Cup is governed by the Asian Cricket Council, while the Asian Games are organised under the Olympic Council of Asia.

Could Naqvi Present the Medals?

There is currently no confirmed announcement that Naqvi has been officially assigned to present medals at the Asian Games cricket events.

Under the OCA framework, medals are presented by the OCA president or a designated representative. Therefore, the OCA could potentially assign the responsibility to Naqvi, but that would depend on its final decision.

The current OCA president is Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar. The responsibility can be handled by the president himself or delegated to an appropriate representative.

Why India Cannot Treat It Like the Asia Cup

Reports citing Indian Olympic Association sources indicate that India does not control the selection of the medal presenter at an Asian Games ceremony. The decision belongs to the OCA under its event protocol.

That makes the situation different from the Asia Cup, where the ACC is the governing body.

If Naqvi is eventually designated to present medals at a cricket ceremony, the protocol to be followed by the Indian athletes would depend on the official arrangements made by the OCA.

India’s Asian Games Cricket Challenge

India have sent a 503-member contingent to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which run from September 19 to October 4.

Both the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams will be aiming to defend their Asian Games titles. As a result, the medal ceremony could attract additional attention if Naqvi is involved.

For now, however, one point remains clear: there is no confirmed decision that Naqvi will present the cricket medals. The matter ultimately rests with the Olympic Council of Asia.