It is shocking that a few Pakistani hockey players made obscene and rude gestures at the crowd after they won the semi-final match against India in the Hero Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. It was noteworthy that the crowd was largely sports-friendly, and had cheered some fine play even of the Pakistani players. The International Hockey Federation acted belatedly against the incident only after Hockey India chief took a strong stand against the federation's weak talk on the issue. Such unruly players should have been taught a fitting lesson by a more stringent punishment.
India has a dominating role in world hockey, and as such it must not allow any hockey match with Pakistan. In addition, it should not even permit the Pakistani hockey team to play on Indian soil, even if the games are part of an international tournament, till the guilty Pakistani players tender a public apology without any riders, on television networks.