The chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Mohsin Naqvi, who “took away” the Asia Cup 2025 trophy, will be honoured with a Gold Medal. Yes, according to reports, Naqvi will receive the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal for his ‘firm and principled stance’ during the Asia Cup final against India.
After India won the Asia Cup title, the Indian players refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi. He was left waiting on the stage for a long time, and finally walked away with the trophy. The Indian team celebrated their victory without the cup.
According to a report by The Independent, the announcement was made by Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, President of the Sindh and Karachi Basketball Association. Jamal said that amid the growing political and sporting tensions with India, Naqvi’s act had “restored national pride.” He also mentioned that PPP President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is likely to be the chief guest at the ceremony.
Related: Unexpected and Childish: BCCI to File Complaint Against ‘Trophy Thief’ Mohsin Naqvi in ICC
The BCCI strongly opposed Naqvi taking the trophy away from the stadium and even demanded his removal as ACC President. However, Naqvi later posted on social media, stating that if the Indian team wanted the trophy, they could collect it from the ACC office.
Reacting to reports of BCCI’s objections, Naqvi wrote on X: “As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy on the same day and I am still ready. If they truly want it, they can come to the ACC office and collect it from me. I have done nothing wrong, nor will I apologise to the BCCI.”
His stance has been widely praised in Pakistan’s political and sports circles, following which it has been decided to award him the Gold Medal.