Watch: Pakistan player attempts ugly handshake stunt, tries to forcefully strike Indian rival's hand at Junior Davis Cup
The Indian team, led by Prakash Sarran and Tavish Pahwa, had blanked Pakistan on May 24 in a fiercely competitive Group B encounter. Both players held their nerve in the super tie-break to win their respective singles rubbers and hand India a clean sweep over their arch-rivals. However, the drama didn't end with the scoreline.
A video that surfaced on social media three days later shows a Pakistani player shaking hands in a visibly disrespectful manner with an Indian counterpart. The footage captures the Pakistani junior missing contact initially, then repeating the motion only to aggressively shake off the Indian player's hand, an act that many online users labelled as deliberate and provocative.
In stark contrast, the Indian junior maintained composure and walked away without responding, drawing praise for his calm demeanour and maturity.
While tensions on a tennis court at the junior level are rarely viewed through a political lens, the incident occurred against the backdrop of heightened hostilities between India and Pakistan. Bilateral ties between the nations deteriorated following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead, most of them tourists.
On May 7, in response to the attack, India launched airstrikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting facilities linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
India claimed the strikes were 'measured, focused, and non-escalatory,' aimed strictly at terror infrastructure. Pakistan responded by launching drone strikes near Indian military posts, as well as over Indian cities along the border. The tit-for-tat exchanges continued for three days until both sides reportedly agreed to a mutual cessation of hostilities on May 10.
Neither tennis federation has made an official comment on the handshake incident.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10 minutes ago
- First Post
Indian batters hailed for 'fabulous display of resilience and character' after holding England to draw in Manchester
The trio of captain Shubman Gill (103), Ravindra Jadeja (107 not out) and Washington Sundar (101 not out) slammed centuries while KL Rahul scored a brave 90 as India held England to a draw after conceding a 311-run first innings deficit and getting reduced to 0/2 on Day 4. read more Ravindra Jadeja celebrates after completing his century while Washington Sundar applauds his teammate on Day 5 of the fourth Test between India and England in Manchester. Reuters The Indian batters produced a fightback for the ages on the last two days of the fourth Test against England in Manchester and keep the five-match series alive heading into the series finale at The Oval starting Thursday. England were staring at the prospect of clinching the series a game to spare after posting a mammoth 669 thanks to Joe Root and Ben Stokes' centuries and later reducing India to 0/2 with Chris Woakes getting rid of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in the first over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Captain Shubham Gill (103) and KL Rahul (90), however, had come to India's rescue on Day 4 with an unbroken 174-run stand. And after both batters departed in quick succession on Day 5 morning at Old Trafford, it was the turn of spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja (107 not out) and Washington Sundar (101 not out) to stand tall and defy the Englishmen. Jadeja and Sundar shine bright on Day 5 Jadeja and Sundar not only steadied the hosts after India found themselves at a precarious 222/4 following Gill's dismissal off Jofra Archer's bowling, they ended up forging an unbroken 203-run partnership for the fifth wicket that had England captain Ben Stokes himself walking up and offering a draw at the start of the final hour of the final day. And Stokes and his teammates weren't too pleased when the two Indian all-rounders turned down their offer, only to shake hands shortly after, just so they could bring up their centuries. Not only was the Indian team felicitated on social media for their heroics with the bat towards the end of the Manchester Test, there were also those criticising the hosts for the way they acted in the final minutes of what turned out to be another riveting contest between these two teams. Here are select reactions: When it comes to India-England, Old Trafford is known for keeping the series alive. Congratulations, Team India, on a fantastic comeback. @klrahul, @ShubmanGill, @imjadeja, and @Sundarwashi5, showed great character and fighting spirit. Good luck for the final Test. Go India!… — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 27, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After having done all the hardwork both Sundar and Jadeja deserved to get their centuries. Why are the English upset? #ENGvIND — Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) July 27, 2025 What an absolutely amazing effort this from team India Not easy to draw a test from the position that they were in Hats off 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽@ShubmanGill @klrahul @imjadeja @Sundarwashi5 #INDvsENG#CricketTwitter — DK (@DineshKarthik) July 27, 2025 Fabulous display of resilience and character by KL, Shubman, Jaddu and Washi to secure a draw in Manchester. It's indeed a significant achievement considering the challenging situation India faced. Good luck for the last game Team India. #ENGvIND — VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 27, 2025 England can cry all they want scoreboard speaks louder than words 3 hundreds all very well deserved 👌🏽🙌🏼 #ENGvIND — (@s_badrinath) July 27, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Being in the field for 157 overs, 0/2, series on the line, incredible amount of skill, determination and character required to do what these champions have done. So much respect for fighting out a draw that feels no short of a win 👏🏻👏🏻 #ENGvIND — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) July 27, 2025 Gotta say, I've lost a lot of respect for @Harry_Brook_88 & @benstokes38 for the way they've carried on, begrudging tons for 2 blokes who batted their hearts out. Absolute pork chops. The spirit of cricket & sportsmanship is only relevant when it suits them, apparently. #ENGvIND — Al Dente (@8thWonder_2040) July 27, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The two teams return to London where the fifth Test between England and India gets underway after a short turnaround. India will be eyeing a second consecutive 2-2 draw on English soil, although this time they will be the ones drawing level should they end up on the winning side at The Oval.
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Zohran Mamdani under fire for lavish Uganda wedding: 'Socialism for thee, not for me'
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after reports of a lavish three-day wedding celebration at his family's estate in Uganda. According to The New York Post, the Indian-origin Democratic Socialist celebrated his wedding to Rama Duwaji in a wealthy suburb outside Kampala. The Indian-origin Democratic Socialist celebrated his wedding to Rama Duwaji in a wealthy suburb outside Kampala.(Getty Images via AFP) Although Mamdani, 33, tied the knot last year, the Uganda event appeared to be extravagant. It reportedly featured armed guards, a cellphone jamming system to prevent photo leaks, and tight security around the estate. A source quoted in the Post claimed that masked special forces were stationed outside the compound to guard the invitation-only event. The revelations quickly drew criticism online, particularly from those questioning Mamdani's political positions on public safety. "NYC Mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani has run on the platform of defunding the police and abolishing prisons but this is his private security outside his family compound in Uganda. Don't those that can't afford private security, also deserve to feel safe and protected?" said one X user. Another added, "Zohran Mamdani wants to ban all guns and defund the police, then flies to Uganda for his wedding, guarded by masked special forces at his family's multimillion-dollar compound. Socialism for thee, not for me." A third user taunted Mamdani's lavish celebration, mocking him as a "man of the people". "Zohran Mamdani: Nothing says American like getting married on your family's luxury Uganda compound. A man of the people," they added. "So it's ok to have masked military for his wedding but ICE isn't supposed to wear masks?" quipped a fourth user. Others criticised Mamdani's privilege in the East African country. "He is privileged. He offers freebies because he's incapable of taking any real steps to improve the economy, as that requires effort."
India.com
10 minutes ago
- India.com
RSS Chief Bhagwat Invokes Yogi Arvinds Vision For Hindu Rashtra; Says, First Understand...
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday asserted that the rise of Sanatan Dharma and the emergence of a Hindu nation are inevitable, echoing the words of Yogi Arvind. Speaking at the 'Gyan Sabha', a national education conference organised by the Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, Bhagwat said, "Yogi Arvind said that it is God's will for the Sanatan Dharma to rise and for the rise of Sanatan Dharma, the rise of the Hindu nation is inevitable. These are his words, and we see that today's world needs this vision. Therefore, we will have to first understand what Bharat is" Bhagwat said that India's identity must be preserved, asserting that if you lose your identity, no matter how good you are, the world will neither respect nor protect you. "Bharat is a proper noun. It should not be translated. 'India that is Bharat' is true. But Bharat is Bharat, and that is why, while writing and speaking, we should keep Bharat as Bharat... Bharat must remain Bharat. The identity of Bharat is respected because it is Bharat. If you lose your identity, whatever other meritorious qualities you may have, you will never be respected or secure in this world. That is the thumb rule,' Bhagwat said. Bhagwat also called for India to move beyond the symbolism of being the 'golden bird' and instead become a 'lion', asserting that the world recognises and respects power. 'The world understands power. Therefore, Bharat must become strong. It must also grow rich in economic terms,' Bhagwat said, stressing that strength and prosperity are essential for India to find its rightful place in the global order. Touching on the theme of national identity, Bhagwat made a strong case for preserving the name 'Bharat' without translation. 'Bharat is a proper noun. It should not be translated. 'India is Bharat' — that's true. But Bharat is Bharat. In every context — whether personal or public, while speaking or writing — we should say Bharat,' he emphasised. The RSS chief also spoke at length about the purpose and values of education, stating that true education empowers an individual to live independently while inculcating a spirit of sacrifice and selflessness. 'Education that teaches selfishness is not real education,' he declared. He further said that education is not confined to schools alone but extends to the home and society. 'The environment in which children grow up plays a crucial role. Society must reflect on what kind of atmosphere is needed to raise a confident and responsible generation,' Bhagwat said. The conference was attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, along with several senior academicians and vice-chancellors from across India. President of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, Dr Pankaj Mittal, Secretary Dr Atul Kothari, Coordinator A Vinod, Chairman of Cochin Shipyard Madhu Nair were also present. The event focused on reshaping the country's educational framework in alignment with Indian cultural values and preparing the youth to face future challenges with clarity and confidence.
