The Indian men’s team were forced to play against Pakistan on Friday, despite heightened tensions between the two nations, at the Asian Beach Handball Championships in Muscat, Oman. The match, which took place on May 9 and ended in a 6-34, 7-36 loss for India, was played under silent protest, with Indian players initially donning black armbands before being ordered to remove them. Tournament officials and the Asian Handball Federation (AHF) made it clear that any political demonstration would not be tolerated. The Indian side, warned of possible expulsion from the competition, a two-year international ban, and a $10,000 fine if they refused to play, decided to go ahead with the fixture under protest. “We had no option. There was no advice from the Sports Ministry or IOA to pull out. Had there been one, we would’ve withdrawn,” Anandeshwar Pandey, Executive Director of the Handball Federation of India told TOI. The Indian contingent had landed in Muscat on May 5, well before relations between the two countries deteriorated. As the tournament progresses, there remains a …