Islamabad, May 28, 2025: A young Pakistani tennis player has become the target of a media smear campaign in India following the recent Pakistan-India Junior Davis Cup clash, with criticism based on an incomplete and misleading video clip circulated online.
According to the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), the controversy erupted after India’s loss in the high-stakes junior match, with Indian media accusing 15-year-old Mikaeel Ali Baig of unsportsmanlike conduct during the post-match handshake.
However, PTF officials have strongly rejected these allegations, clarifying that the widely shared clip distorts the true sequence of events.
“Mikaeel was disappointed with his own performance, not with the Indian players,” said a PTF spokesperson. “In the complete video, he clearly tells his Indian opponent, ‘I’m not angry at you, I’m angry at myself.’”
Footage unseen by the public also shows Mikaeel hugging his coach and breaking into tears after the match—a display of personal frustration rather than animosity. Both teams’ coaches were observed shaking hands, and players participated in a group photo afterward—moments that Indian media allegedly chose not to broadcast.
PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi condemned the coverage, calling it “an unfair and overblown narrative” driven by a selectively edited clip.
“This is not the first time we’ve seen such tactics,” Aisam stated. “The full video shows a young athlete grappling with defeat. Mikaeel’s mother even congratulated the Indian player with a ‘well played,’ and our team captain, Shehzad Khan, was seen appreciating the Indian side.”
Aisam urged the All India Tennis Association and the Indian media to review the full footage before making baseless accusations.
“If there had been any misconduct, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) would have intervened. That didn’t happen because there was no incident,” he added.
Hamza Ruman, a teammate of Mikaeel on the U-16 Davis Cup squad, echoed these remarks.
“Our entire team went over to greet the Indian players after the match. Unfortunately, that moment wasn’t included in the viral footage,” Hamza said. “The narrative being pushed is completely one-sided and does not reflect the spirit in which the match was played.”
The PTF has called for responsible journalism and urged the media to avoid fanning nationalist sentiment at the expense of young athletes trying to represent their countries in good faith.
