ACC president Mohsin Naqvi will not attend today’s Asian Games men’s cricket final between India and Pakistan at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. The gold medal match starts at 10:00 AM IST, after Bangladesh and Sri Lanka play for bronze.
So who will present the medals? Not the ACC. At the Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the local organising committee decide who stands on the podium.
Naqvi’s absence matters because of the last two India trophies he was meant to hand over. In 2025, India’s men beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai and refused to take the trophy from him. On 13 September 2026, India’s women did the same after winning the Women’s Asia Cup, and the ceremony was delayed by about 50 minutes.
India’s objection is Naqvi’s dual role. He is also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister.
The ACC confirmed his absence on 2 October:
“ACC President, Mr Mohsin Naqvi, will miss Finals Day at #AsianGames2026 due to prior commitments, but sends his very best wishes to all four teams ahead of the Gold and Bronze Medal Matches.”
Asian Cricket Council, official statement, 2 October 2026
The statement reads like routine diplomacy. Inside India’s dressing room, it removes a problem the players would otherwise have carried into a final against Pakistan.
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When a team has refused a trophy twice, the ceremony becomes part of match preparation. Before the final, someone has to tell the players what happens if a particular official walks onto the stage: who goes up, who stays back, where to stand. That plan does not stay in the team meeting: it sits at the back of your mind while you bat and bowl.
A final against Pakistan already comes with enough off-field weight, starting with handshakes that are not expected to happen. Taking one decision away from the whole squad before the toss is a real gain. With Naqvi away, the only podium question left for India is the colour of the medal.
Who Presents the Medals Instead
Under Article 66 of the OCA Constitution, the OCA President presents the medals and can delegate that job to other OCA members. Political propaganda is barred from the ceremony. Naqvi is not OCA President, so any role for him would have needed delegation.
On 16 September, the Indian Olympic Association wrote to the organisers asking that no Pakistani political official be placed at medal ceremonies involving India’s cricket teams. India’s women won gold on 22 September, and the reported presentation party for their final avoided Naqvi entirely.
| Presenter (women’s final, as reported) | Role |
|---|---|
| Vinod Kumar Tiwari | OCA member |
| Shiva Keshavan | Former Winter Olympian, India |
| Tayyab Ikram | President, International Hockey Federation (Pakistan) |
For the men’s final, no official list has been released and reports differ. One names ICC chair Jay Shah, Nisshin mayor Hiroki Kondo and OCA Executive Board member Nilo Jayatolake. Another says an OCA board member will present the gold, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia possibly handing over one medal.
There is one scenario with no winner to crown: if rain washes out the final, India and Pakistan share the gold.
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