Davis Cup 2019 - India

[prasen9]

Some areas of Pakistan are very dangerous. Others can be secure if the Pakistani government is asked to provide a high level of security. There are dignitaries who have traveled to Pakistan and have been protected. If Pakistan vouches for the safety for the Indian sportsmen, then ITF should insist that the tie goes on in Pakistan.

The governments of Indian and Pakistan have used each other as bogeymen partially to hide their abysmal failures and corrupt cultures. We should look over that and try to objectively assess the security question. If the security question is addressed, then the ITF should not care about the standard BS that the governments of both these countries spew.

[PKBasu]

In light of the Sri Lanka cricket team bus being attacked a few years ago in Lahore, it would be utterly foolhardy for any Indian sportsman to travel to Pakistan at a time when our diplomatic relations are at an even lower ebb.

[Rajiv]

Even under normal circumstances it is unsafe to travel to bug land

And with anti india sentiments running high it would be extremely foolish to take a risk.

Sadly the ITF doesn't seem to understand these ground realities

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2033248/7- ... rns/?amp=1

[knarayen]

Imran Khan is not going to let this opportunity go - if he gave in to allow the match to be played in a neutral venue then it will tarnish his image as a great sports captain who strives to keep sports separate from politics. He may actually believe his own Kool-Aid on this too.

Prof

[prasen9]

In light of the Sri Lanka cricket team bus being attacked a few years ago in Lahore, it would be utterly foolhardy for any Indian sportsman to travel to Pakistan at a time when our diplomatic relations are at an even lower ebb.

There is no country in the world where there has not been a terrorist attack. The issue is if the country will guarantee a high-level of security and take steps to make such attacks highly unlikely. I have not checked the terrorism data in a while but when I did so, Peru had the highest rate of terrorism-related attacks followed by India. I am sure the numbers are different now because Peru has been relatively calmer and India has possibly moved positions too. But, security should be objectively determined and not based on moods and patriotic jingoism of people. Yes, there is a serious threat and we should only go if there is an iron-clad guarantee by the authorities with international witnesses that the security of our sportsmen will be guaranteed. But, of course, politics and social moods will influence everything and I am not naiive to say that it will not or should not. I like objective decisions and fully realize that it is not how the world works.

[S_K_S]

Would be utter madness to go.

[arjun2761]

Fully agree. Even assuming some parts of the government guarantees full protection, the "terrorists" are well entrenched into their government and can do whatever they please. Isn't worth the risk. The ITF is showing that it is a very naive organization and the Davis Cup frankly is becoming somewhat irrelevant...

[knarayen]

Can the Indian government send their own special forces team along wit the tennis team? Is this allowed?

[knarayen]

Also, diplomatic relations between the countries is now suspended. All embassy personnel on both sides expelled. So, what is to prevent ISI personnel from arresting the tennis team as spies? Hold them hostage? Is ITF legally liable if this happens?

[Atithee]

Guaranteed security? Who invented that mirage? Impossible promise anywhere. The notion of separating sports and politics is silly and never made any sense to me. Especially, where most funding, infrastructure, logistical support, and security is provided and paid for by the national government. UN is largely an American agent and is soon becoming irrelevant with USA holding back its funding and threatening to do so more including funding for most world “agreements.” All these world pacts work if and only if USA plays nice.

Let’s see how the UNSC meeting on Kashmir issue backed by China pans out. This is where Modi’s numerous world trips will bear fruit, particularly those in the Middle East.

[prasen9]

Guaranteed security? Who invented that mirage? Impossible promise anywhere.

Absolute guarantees are not available anywhere. What I meant by that is that if a government wants to gurantee security, they can. There are levels of security such as presidental-level security. Etc

The notion of separating sports and politics is silly and never made any sense to me.

It is a concept. You may like it or not. That is your choice. I have in the past said that we should not visit Pakistan because of security concerns because you cannot play with a country you are at war with, etc. My current belief is that all that is going on now is some standard theatrics and politics. It is an individual's choice on whether they believe that a country should play or not with another.

Especially, where most funding, infrastructure, logistical support, and security is provided and paid for by the national government. UN is largely an American agent and is soon becoming irrelevant with USA holding back its funding and threatening to do so more including funding for most world “agreements.” All these world pacts work if and only if USA plays nice.

Let’s see how the UNSC meeting on Kashmir issue backed by China pans out. This is where Modi’s numerous world trips will bear fruit, particularly those in the Middle East.

There is nothing to see. Abrolition of Article 370 is a change to the constitution/statutes. If you told me that Article 370 would be abolished, I would have told you how everyone would react. This is the same as when India became nuclear-capable. Everyone made the usual noise and things were back to normal. The same thing will happen this time. This is no big issue.

[prasen9]

Also, diplomatic relations between the countries is now suspended. All embassy personnel on both sides expelled. So, what is to prevent ISI personnel from arresting the tennis team as spies? Hold them hostage? Is ITF legally liable if this happens?

Sorry even if the diplomatic relations existed, ISI would have no problems arresting the tennis team. Diplomatic staff are useless if one country's army wants to detain some individuals. What will prevent Pakistan is that they will be completely outcast and all their sports teams severely disadvantaged (banned, banned from hosting anything at home, etc.). The idea that they would arrest a tennis team is sheer paranoia. If you do a game-theoretic analysis, they have little to gain from it. Arresting some folks to spite another country while causing great harm to your own sporting community makes no sense from a country's PM's perspective especially when the said PM was a sportsman. Essentially, I am saying that the security risks are way overstated here.

[ankit1407]

send Prasen to Pakistan to represent our tennis team

[prasen9]

I am useless too wrt conflict resolution or tennis-matters. But, for what it is worth, I have been looking to visit Pakistan (just for tourism). I would love to visit Iraq and Afghanistan (Syria - not yet). From what I have learned from my (limited) "research" is that certain parts are perfectly fine to visit and certain parts are not. I have visited Lebanon when the advice was not to go there, and had a great time in going near the Syrian border even during the wartime, went to Sharm Al Sheikh again when the advice was not to go and enjoyed a 5-star hotel on the Red Sea for dirt cheap (we were one of two families in the entire resort!), walked in certain Rio de Janeiro streets I was advised not to at 8pm (but not at midnight) and hitchhiked a ride from the mountains from a truck-driver with whom I pretty much communicated playing dumb charades and then someone who turned out to be Glen Greenwald! I would be love to go to Pakistan.

[Rajiv]

The Davis Cup tie has been postponed to Nov.
India should still demand a Neutral venue.
Don't expect matters to change in couple of months and the bugs will be more belligerent putting our Team at a risk