India govt opens gates to Pakistani athletes, but no permission for bilateral sports events

The government of India has granted Pakistani athletes permission to compete in the country by revising its international sporting events policy.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued a memorandum in this regard, dated May 5, stating, 'India's approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country'.

This is seen as a move to make India welcoming for all, including Pakistan, as the country is set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and is preparing to bid for the 2036 Olympics and the 2038 Asian Games.

However, restrictions will remain on bilateral sports events. "Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India," read the memorandum.

"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."

In the absence of bilateral events, major sports, especially cricket, featuring India and Pakistan will remain restricted to tournaments such as the Champions Trophy and World Cups. The cricket bodies of India and Pakistan have an agreement to play at neutral grounds till 2027. In the T20 World Cup that India hosted this year, Pakistan played all their matches in Sri Lanka.

"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."

India and Pakistan were engaged in a war-like situation after a terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 civilian lives. The attack was reportedly carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists.