NEW DELHI: Indian athletes will be free to decide for themselves whether to shake hands or exchange pleasantries with their Pakistani counterparts during the CWG, while accepting gifts or presents from sportspersons from the neighboring country has been ruled out, TOI has learnt.With the Indian and Pakistani contingents staying mostly in the same hotels under Glasgow’s “area-based” accommodation system rather than a traditional Athletes’ Village concept, interaction between athletes from the two countries is expected to be inevitable during the Games.It was learned that the issue was discussed by Indian sports officials in Glasgow as part of internal deliberations with the contingent. While the acceptance of gifts or presents by Pakistani athletes was expressly prohibited, the decision on handshakes and exchange of pleasantries was left to the individual judgment of the athletes and, in some cases, the guidance of their respective national sports federations (NSFs). No formal instructions have been issued by the authorities on the matter.In athletics, for example, India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan’s CWG champion Arshad Nadeem are staying at the same hotel in Zone 3 ahead of their competition, making interaction between the two likely.Different sports, however, have adopted different approaches. It is learned that lawn bowls officials have told the Indian players that there is no problem with shaking hands, high fives or exchanging pleasantries with Pakistani opponents. A few other NSFs conveyed similar sentiments.India’s approach to sports engagement with Pakistan has long distinguished between bilateral competition and multinational events. While bilateral sports ties remain suspended, athletes from the two countries continue to compete against each other in international multi-sport events. In cricket, Indian and Pakistani players have avoided pre-match and post-match routines in recent years. In contrast, the junior hockey teams from the two countries exchanged high fives after their Sultan of Johor Cup match.
