Sports can bridge Indo-Pak gap: Muhammad Riaz, Pakistan wrestling team manager

NEW DELHI: Pakistan wrestling team manager Muhammad Riaz on Saturday said that sporting events can bridge the gap between the two countries.

The Pakistan wrestling team is currently here in India to participate in the ongoing Junior Asian Wrestling championship.

"I believe sports can bring the two nations together. Be it cricket, hockey, kabaddi or wrestling, if you organise an Indo-Pak event, then you will definitely observe the excitement people have for such matches," Riaz said.

He gave special credit to Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for resolving the visa issue in a short span of time. He further stated that the issue had to be resolved as it was turning into a political tussle.

Echoing the similar views, Pakistani Wrestler Haseeb Mustafa said that political matters act as an obstacle in the sporting event and players should not face the brunt of the same.

"Due to politics, players often face difficulty to participate in cross country events. We do not get the opportunity. This should end. A player should not face injustice because of that," Mustafa said.

He further stated that organising sports events between the two nations can help develop a sense of brotherhood between the countries.

Earlier, ahead of the Junior Championship, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had not given visas to Pakistani players. The issue was resolved soon after the intervention of the WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.