"No need to drag politics into sports": MoS Ramdas Athawale criticises WLC's decision to call off India-Pakistan match

New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Sunday criticised the decision by the World Championship of Legends (WCL) to call off the India-Pakistan match, stating that politics should not be mixed with sports.
"There is no need to drag politics into sports. Had the match been held in India, it would have been serious. But the match is in England. We have defeated Pakistan in the war. We have also defeated their Cricket Team. So, the Opposition should not drag politics into it," Athawale told ANI.
Referring to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, Athawale acknowledged the national sentiment but drew a distinction between acts of terror and sporting events.
"India vs Pakistan match was scheduled to be held in England (WCL). It is true that terrorists carried out an attack in Pahalgam and after that terrorist camps were neutralised...But the matter of match is different," he added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Sunday welcomed the World Championship of Legends (WCL)'s decision to call off the India-Pakistan match, calling it a victory for the nation's collective sentiment in the wake of recent terror-related incidents.
In a post on social media platform X, Chaturvedi wrote, "Collective voice of the nation can move mountains. A big thank you to all those who took up a firm stance and stood against any India-Pak cricket ties, especially post Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, and supported my call to cancel the match. It has happened. WCL has dropped the India-Pakistan match. Jai Hind."
Earlier today, WCL confirmed the cancellation of the high-profile fixture and issued an apology for hurting public sentiments and the sentiments of Indian cricket legends.
In a statement, the tournament organisers said the India-Pakistan match was initially proposed following a recent volleyball encounter between the two nations, with the intention of creating "happy memories for fans." However, the tournament states that this may have ended up hurting the feelings of many and causing discomfort to the Indian legends.
In the wake of this, a decision was made to call off the fixture. WCL further apologised for hurting sentiments.
The development comes amid rising public and player opposition following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Several former cricketers, including Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, had already informed the media that they would not participate in the match against Pakistan. Sources also indicate that some other players in the Indian lineup have taken a similar stance. (ANI)