And now scrabble

In a disheartening but not at all surprising turn of events, the Indian High Commission has denied visas to a substantial number of Pakistani scrabble players, effectively barring them from participating in the Asia Cup Youth Scrabble Championship and the Delhi Cup. This decision not only undermines the principles of sportsmanship but, coming right after the Indian government blocked its cricket team from playing in the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, reflects broader issues that transcend Scrabble, cricket, and, for that matter, any sports or games.

The refusal to grant visas to the scrabble team, including reigning world champions and defending Asian titleholders, is a significant blow to players who have dedicated years to honing their skills and representing their country on international stages. A country that would deny top international and regional athletes from playing does not deserve to have hosting rights for any international tournament. It is why Qatar, despite having no diplomatic ties with Israel, had to agree to allow the Israeli team to play in the Fifa World Cup if it qualified for the tournament - which it did not. Israeli athletes have also competed in various international sporting events in other countries with which the country has no diplomatic relations.

Several sports have seen major tournaments moved around to ensure every deserving player or team can participate. International sports governing bodies need to require the governments of all potential hosts to agree in writing to grant visas and facilitate participating athletes and teams, or be harshly penalised. India's governing body for scrabble had previously said it was confident all Pakistani participants would get visas as the players applied early and followed all the rules. Unfortunately, India has a well-established reputation for ignoring its own rules and laws.