WASHINGTON: The United States has weighed in on India’s decision to not play the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, emphasizing the importance of sports diplomacy in bridging divides, said US State Department.
During a press briefing in Washington, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State stressed that sports have the power to connect people and foster cultural understanding.
Patel’s comments came at the time when India’s refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025, citing security concerns.
“Sports is indeed a powerful connecting force… It’s something we know is incredibly important to the US State Department,” the US spokesperson said.
In response to a separate question, Patel condemned the blast on Railway Station in Quetta, saying that the US “condemn the BLA Majeed Brigade’s November 9th bombing at a railway station, and we extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families.”
“We have a shared interest in combating these kinds of threats with Pakistan. We have a shared commitment to regional security. The U.S. itself has designated the BLA as a specially designated global terrorist organization. We did that back in 2019. And at the end of the day, we’re going to continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism and violent extremism” he added.
