ACC President Skips Asian Games Final Amidst Trophy Controversy

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi will not attend the 2026 Asian Games final on Saturday, October 3, due to existing prior commitments. The ACC officially announced his absence via X, stating he will not travel to Japan for the gold medal match between India and Pakistan. Naqvi's presence was anticipated as he would have been responsible for presenting medals to the winning team.

This upcoming absence follows a recent pattern of trophy presentation controversies involving Naqvi. After India's victory in the 2026 Asia Cup, neither the men's nor the women's team accepted the trophy from Naqvi. Reports indicate that the Indian men's team also opted against shaking hands with the Pakistani players after defeating them in the final. The presentation ceremony for the men's tournament was reportedly delayed by an hour due to disagreements over who would present the trophy, with plans reportedly shifting to an Emirates Cricket Board official before Naqvi intervened.

India's path to the final included a quarter-final match against Afghanistan that was washed out, allowing them to advance automatically. They then secured a dominant victory over Sri Lanka in the semi-final, bowling them out for just 45 runs after scoring 169. The final squad lists for both India and Pakistan have also been provided.