Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi will reportedly get a gold medal in Pakistan for 'stealing' the Asia Cup 2025 trophy. As per media reports, Naqvi will be awarded the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal for his 'firm and principled stance' against India in the Asia Cup final.
The ACC chief took away the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to receive the silverware from Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister in Pakistan. Naqvi stood at the dias in the delayed presentation ceremony, but the Indian team did not come to collect the honour and took it away with him.
As per reports, the Karachi Basketball Association president, Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, announced the gold medal for his stance against India. They add that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is likely to be the chief guest.
Naqvi took the trophy away but has stated that the Indian team can come and collect the trophy from him. "As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day, and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me," he said in a social media post.
"Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so," he added.
India won the Asia Cup 2025 after beating Pakistan in the final by five wickets. The Men in Blue chased down 146 against the Men in Green with Tilak Varma playing a knock for ages, with his unbeaten 63 guiding India home in a tense chase. Rinku Singh, who played only the final in the Asia Cup, scored the winning runs when he hit a four off the fourth ball of the final over.
