“Indian Junior Hockey Team Breaks Barrier, Shares Handshakes with Pakistan”

In a departure from the recent trend observed among Indian cricket players, the Indian junior men’s hockey team engaged in friendly interactions with the Pakistani team at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia. Videos and images capturing the U-21 players from both sides exchanging greetings and high-fives have circulated widely, contrasting the previous “no handshake” controversy. This amicable gesture by the junior hockey players followed the decision by the Indian and Pakistan men’s and women’s cricket teams to avoid handshakes during their matches at the Asia Cup in the UAE and a World Cup game in Colombo. These events unfolded in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack and India’s subsequent military actions targeting alleged “terror infrastructure” in Pakistan. Throughout the Asia Cup games, there were no handshakes between the India and Pakistan teams or their captains before or after the matches, with India emerging victorious in all encounters, including the final.