CWG 2026: Handshakes with Pakistan allowed; accepting gifts banned

Organisers of the 2026 Commonwealth Games have confirmed there will be no prohibition on handshakes between athletes and members of Pakistan’s delegation. At the same time, competitors are not permitted to accept gifts.

The clarification, issued on July 25, 2026, relates to conduct at the Games and sets out two distinct points of guidance for participant interactions. It makes clear that physical greetings such as handshakes are not subject to a blanket ban in encounters with Pakistan players. Separately, the guidance explicitly forbids the receipt of gifts during the event. Those two points form the core of the advisory issued in relation to behaviour at the Games.

On the first matter, the organisers state that hand-to-hand greetings involving Pakistan’s players will not be barred, removing any notion of a formal ban on such gestures. This element of the guidance focuses solely on permitting handshakes rather than creating any new mandatory protocols.

The second element is categorical regarding gifts: receiving presents is forbidden for participants. That prohibition applies irrespective of the source and is presented as a clear rule for those taking part in the Commonwealth Games.

Together, the two directives distinguish between the permissibility of physical greetings and the prohibition on accepting items. The guidance presents these as separate rules to be observed by athletes and delegations while at the Games.

The published clarification on July 25, 2026, therefore sets out that handshakes with Pakistan’s delegation are allowed, while the receipt of gifts is not permitted.