Johor Bahru: With simmering diplomatic tensions spilling into sport, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has issued a blunt advisory to its junior team ahead of Tuesday’s Sultan of Johor Cup meeting with India: keep your heads down, play your hockey — and don’t respond to provocation.

A senior PHF official told reporters the squad has been explicitly instructed to expect a possible “no-handshake” stance from the Indian side and to ignore it if it happens. The message to players was short and stark:

“If the Indians refuse to shake hands, move on. If anyone tries to bait you, we will deal with it internally — any player who provokes or escalates will be suspended and sent home.”

The official added that the directive is meant to protect the team from being dragged into off-field politics and distractions.

The advisory follows a recent run of incidents in which political and security flashpoints — notably Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack — have bled into sporting encounters between the two neighbours, turning routine gestures into diplomatic headlines.

The fallout from the 2025 Asia Cup cricket tournament — in which post-match handshakes were largely refused and the trophy presentation itself became mired in controversy — is being cited by both federations as the immediate backdrop.

PHF officials say the instruction is tactical and disciplinary rather than provocative. The aim, they say, is twofold: to prevent emotional confrontations that could endanger players’ prospects and to ensure the team's focus remains on gameplay amid hostile noise.

Pakistan’s junior team arrives in Johor off a thumping 7-1 win over hosts Malaysia and a tougher outing against Great Britain, results that PHF sources say vindicate the federation’s focus on performance.

India’s junior management has said little publicly about handshake protocols for the match, but tournament observers expect the encounter to be tightly policed by match officials to forestall any flare-ups.

Organisers and both teams have been warned that any on-field disciplinary breaches will draw swift action under tournament rules.