India spinner R Ashwin was seen in attendance during India vs Pakistan Asian Champions Trophy Hockey clash on Thursday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, along with Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.
Ashwin was seen standing alongside the players of India and Pakistan before the start of the match while the national anthems were played and shook the hands of the players from both sides, wishing them luck.
The match saw the Indian team thrashing Pakistan 4-0 in a commanding performance. As a result of this loss, Pakistan was eliminated from the tournament.
The legendary spin wizard took out time to attend the high-octane clash between India and Pakistan showing that he remains a ‘true sport lover’.
Under the captaincy of Harmanpreet, India’s hockey team has remained unbeaten at the Asian Champions Trophy so far. They defeated China 7-2 in their opening match and then played a 1-1 draw with Japan.
India then thrashed Malaysia 5-0 and now defeated Pakistan to knock them out of the competition and confirm their seat in the semifinals.
While the other guests walked off the pitch giving their best wishes to the players, India off-spinner Ashwin stood back to wait for goalkeeper Sreejesh, who came sprinting and the two legends of Indian sports exchanged a hug.
Sreejesh revealed the words that they two exchanged and told Times of India: "It was a great gesture from him. He is a legend, a senior player, current international team member, and still he recognized me. He came to say hi. It's something I can cherish for my lifetime because nobody does that. Seriously."
India will take on defending champions Japan in the semifinals on August 11. The other semifinal will be between South Korea and Malaysia on the same day.
