The India-Pakistan rivalry, known to generate high-stakes matches, continued to be apparent at the SAFF U-17 Championship in Sri Lanka, even in the football arena. The match between the two nations saw controversial and provocative celebrations by the Pakistani team, which sparked outrage. Pakistani forward Muhammad Abdullah was at the center of this, as he celebrated his goal with a ‘tea-drinking’ gesture. This gesture was immediately interpreted as a disrespectful reference to the Indian Air Force pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman. The celebration also appeared to mimic an airplane crash, which was widely seen as a taunt. Despite the contentious atmosphere, the Indian U-17 team rallied, ultimately winning the match 3-2, with Rahan Ahmed providing the game-winning goal. This victory placed India at the top of Group B, setting up a semi-final match against Nepal, and Pakistan will compete against Bangladesh in the semi-finals.
