India-Pakistan rivalry is witnessed in every sporting event, more so when it concerns cricket and hockey. The turn of events at Bhubaneswar in the Champions Trophy semi-final could have been prevented had the manager and coach of the Pakistan team acted swiftly. Crowd behaviour should have been anticipated and swift action taken to dissipate tension like that witnessed when the crowd set the Kolkata stadium afire in the 1969 Test against Australia after the Indian defeat and where Captain Pataudi let the opener Captain Lawry hit the necessary winning runs (42) by a friendly bowing (Wadekar). The knee-jerk reaction by the FIH calling for a written apology by the PHF is unwarranted in the interest of good bilateral relations. The matter should be left at that.
A.V. Narayanan,Tiruchi
Sporting events apparently are meant to promote relations between countries, influence diplomacy and help shun differences and bring people together. It is the moral responsibility of a sportsman to behave in a civilised manner when he is representing his country. The conduct of Pakistan players was totally unacceptable.
Harsh Gulla,Vijayapura, Karnataka
The way the Pakistani players behaved did not enhance the spirit of the game in any way. In a world where sports plays a vital part in giving solace and comfort and even binds strife-torn countries, the Pakistan hockey team has completely let down one and all. It is time sportsmen are made accountable, for the future of sports.
Devadas V.,Kannur
Sports, they say, should reveal the humility and decency of a player. Winning and losing are a part and parcel of any game. It would have been understandable had the Pakistan players celebrated without offending spectator sentiment. But their obscene gestures did inflame. Those who watched the match on television could decipher that spectators were appreciative of some of the moves the Pakistan players made while playing the match. A frightening thought is that the moves could have triggered violence.
Ganapathi Bhat,Bengaluru
