No bilateral ties, open doors for global events in India

Crucially, it underlines that ‘Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India’, paving the way for them to compete in international cricket and multi-discipline events in the country.

The government said ‘India’s approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country’. Yet, by formally notifying a dual approach – no bilateral engagement, but full compliance in international sport – the policy attempts to balance geopolitical realities with the demands of global competition, where participation norms leave little room for exclusion.

The memo stated: “With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events.”

The notification comes at a critical point when India is positioning itself as a global sporting destination. The country will host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, and has made an aggressive pitch for the 2036 Olympics and 2038 Asian Games. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) officials are set to visit Ahmedabad to evaluate India’s bid. India will also host the cricket Champions Trophy in 2029 and the 50-over World Cup in 2031.

At the same time, in the coming months, Indian and Pakistani athletes are likely to face each other multiple times, at the Commonwealth Games in July-August and the Asian Games in September-October. India and Pakistan are also set to face each other in hockey tournaments at least thrice in the next few months – in the FIH Pro League in London on June 23 and 26, and again at the World Cup in Amsterdam on August 19.

Sporting relations between the two countries have hit an all-time low after the Pahalgam attacks. There was public outrage when India played Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. The government, too, faced criticism for granting visas to the Pakistani hockey team for the Asia Cup in Bihar last August and the Junior World Cup in Chennai in December 2025.

The government also moved to address a recurring friction point – visas. In line with its ambition to host major international events, the memorandum said the visa process for ‘sportspersons, team officials, technical personnel, and office-bearers of International Sports Governing Bodies shall be simplified.’ It added that international federation officials will be granted ‘multi-entry visa… on a priority basis for the duration of their official tenure, subject to a maximum period of five years,’ to ensure ‘smooth movement… in accordance with international norms.’

The articulation formalises what has often been handled on an ad hoc basis, particularly in Olympic sports where global federations mandate open participation.

In recent years, delays and uncertainties over visas for Pakistani, or Pakistan-origin, participants had occasionally drawn scrutiny from global bodies and raised questions over host obligations. By explicitly stating that multilateral events will remain open, the government appears to be removing ambiguity.

“This (simplified visa process) shall facilitate their smooth movement into and within the country, in accordance with international norms,” the memo said.