Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi is set to be honoured with the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal after his controversial decision to hold back the Asia Cup trophy following India’s refusal to accept it during the final ceremony. Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, will receive the medal for what organisers call his “principled and courageous stance” that, they claim, restored Pakistan’s national pride.
The announcement was made by Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal, President of the Sindh and Karachi Basketball Associations. Jamal said Naqvi’s actions sent a strong message at a time of heightened sporting and political tensions with India. “He did not bow down under pressure. He stood firm, and in doing so, he restored the dignity of Pakistan,” Jamal said while announcing the award.
Naqvi hit international headlines after the Asia Cup final trophy ceremony turned into a political flashpoint. When Indian players declined to take the trophy from him, it was widely seen as a diplomatic snub. Naqvi responded by keeping the trophy himself, later posting on social media that the Indian team was free to collect it from the ACC headquarters “if they truly want it.” 
