Sportsmanship takes centre stage in Pakistan-India SAFF Women's Futsal clash

BANGKOK: The blockbuster SAFF Women's Futsal Championship 2026 match between arch-rivals Pakistan and India got underway on a positive note as both teams' captains upheld the spirit of the game by a generous handshake at the toss here at the Nonthaburi Stadium on Monday.

Ahead of the commencement of the high-octane fixture, Pakistan captain Kaya Bokhari presented a cultural souvenir to her Indian counterpart Jigmet Chunzen before offering each other the customary handshake.

Later, the players from both teams entered the field by high-fiving each other, further dismissing the attempts to politicise sports, which emerged during the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 when India men's cricket team's captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan counterpart Salman Ali Agha.

The senior cricket teams of India and Pakistan met three times during that tournament, and on each occasion, players noticeably avoided post-toss and post-match handshakes.

The controversy did not remain limited to the men's events, as a similar situation occurred recently at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where both teams' captains, Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana, avoided shaking hands at the toss.

Meanwhile, the upcoming SAFF Women's Futsal Championship 2026 between the two fierce rivals is of great significance as its outcome would be crucial in determining the semi-finalists.

Pakistan, playing their fourth match of the seven-team tournament, are currently unbeaten, courtesy of a 1-1 draw against Bhutan in the campaign opener, followed by comprehensive victories over Sri Lanka and Maldives.

India, on the other hand, are riding on a mixed momentum as they have one defeat and a victory in their first two appearances.

Starting Lineups

Pakistan: Zeeyana Jivraj, Aliya Sadiq, Kaya Bokhari (c), Azwa Chaudhry and Anmool Hira.

India: Aiswarya Arumugam, Jigmet Chunzen (c), Khushbu Saroj, Ritika Singh and Diti Kanungo.