The world of sports is known for its traditional sports rivalries, especially among immediate neighbor nations. Some of these rivalries are among the top contenders for continuous supremacy in their respective sports. Nothing can match the hype, intensity or excitement such rivalries create that keep fans on one side or the other on the edges of their seats. One of the most fierce and much-awaited of such rivalries is India and Pakistan.
Incidentally, 2023 has been a year with a bounty of India-Pakistan sporting contests, especially in sports – hockey and cricket – that are very popular across borders.
In the ongoing Asian Games, these rivalries have been at the forefront as sportsmen and women of the two arch-rivals and neighbors were drawn to measure each other’s weaknesses and strengths on the playfields.
India continues to enjoy the edge. This time, the victory by a record margin in a pool game of the Hockey competition at Hangzhou must have warmed the cockles of hearts of lovers of Indian sports, both at home and overseas. India recorded its biggest-ever win over Pakistan in 180 encounters between the two neighbours. India won 10-2, surpassing the previous best of 7-1 recorded in the World League in London in 2017.
Pakistan, too, had similar 7–1 wins over India, both in the 1980 Champions Trophy and the 1982 Asian Games final in New Delhi.
The possibility of India and Pakistan playing against each other later in the Asian Games is not ruled out. Though India has assured itself a place in the knockout round (semi-finals) of the Games, Pakistan has a game against the defending champions Japan in hand. A lot will depend upon the outcome of this game as both Japan and Pakistan have three wins and a loss each in their first four games. The winner of the last pool game will certainly qualify for the semis. In case of a draw, the goal difference will be decisive.
Before coming to Hangzhou for the Asian Games, Chennai in India was the venue for the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament for men where India defeated Pakistan 4-0 to take the gold medal.
Pakistan, too, had a hockey win to its credit when it beat India 5-4 in a pool game in the Asian Hockey5s in Salalah Oman early this year. India, however, avenged that defeat in the final, defeating Pakistan 2–0 in a penalty shootout after the gold medal game had ended in a 4–4 draw in the stipulated period.
Coming back to the general sports rivalry, there have been four encounters between India and Pakistan in the Hangzhou Asian Games so far. India has been the winner in three and Pakistan in the fourth.
Indian Squash teams, both men and women, got better than Pakistan teams in their respective contests. Indian women beat Pakistan 3-0 in their preliminary round thanks to emphatic wins recorded by Anchal Singh, Joshua Chinappa and Tanvi Khanna. India finished with a bronze medal in the women’s team event.
In the men’s section, India and Pakistan were face to face in the gold medal match. It turned out to be the match of the competition as India just managed to edge out Pakistan 2-1 in a thriller. After Iqbal put Pakistan ahead with a win over Mahesh, Sourav Ghosal and Abhay Singh played games of their lives to give India its first-ever men’s team gold.
Earlier in the games, Pakistan recorded an exciting 3-0 win over India in the men’s volleyball play-off for fifth and sixth position.
On August 27 this year, Neeraj Chopra won a battle of wits against Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan in the javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. In a finish scripted in diplomacy, Chopra won gold while Nadeem won silver. Competitive rivalry did not spill into personal relations that remained warm as they had always been. They will be face-to-face with each other again in the Asian Games as Neeraj Chopra will defend the gold that he won at Jakarta five years ago.
On September 2, India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup Cricket Tournament in Kandy, Sri Lanka. On October 14 India defeated Pakistan in the World Cup at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. It is freighted with nationalist meaning. Earlier, apprehensive about its security in India, the Pakistan team is now finding itself short of words to describe the overwhelming welcome and hospitality extended to it since its arrival.
(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience of 14 years with Reuters News and 30 years with The Tribune Group, covering a wide spectrum of subjects and stories. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics and several major sporting events and hosting TV shows.)
