The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has addressed speculation regarding whether Indian squads would accept Asian Games medals from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, amid the prolonged Asia Cup trophy standoff.
Both India’s men’s and women’s teams—defending gold medalists and frontrunners at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games—previously refused to receive their Asia Cup silverware and medals directly from Naqvi in successive tournaments. However, Indian media reports indicate that Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) regulations establish a far stricter protocol. Under Article 66 of the OCA Constitution governing victory ceremonies, the OCA President or designated representatives present the medals, while explicitly prohibiting any political, racial, or commercial demonstrations. Any refusal by athletes to accept medals from an officially assigned presenter could be treated as a direct disrespect to the OCA, potentially triggering severe disciplinary sanctions.
Breaking the board’s silence, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia emphasized that the contingent’s primary focus remains firmly on match performances, stating that the board will address medal ceremony logistics whenever that situation formally arises.
