Mahesh Bhupathi on India-Pakistan Asia Cup Final: ‘I didn’t see much sportsmanship’ as he backs Dubai’s Stars Golf League

Dubai: “I didn’t see much of it at the match on either side yesterday unfortunately,” said 12-time Grand Slam tennis champion Mahesh Bhupathi bluntly, reflecting on the heated India–Pakistan Asia Cup final earlier this weekend.

What he found missing wasn’t skill or passion, but sportsmanship — something he believes is at the very core of an athlete’s upbringing.

He was responding to a question posed by Gulf News at the glittering launch of the upcoming Stars Golf League on how sports being the biggest leveler has taken a hit in today's polarising times.

“Sportsmanship is a personal facet of every athlete — it comes from how they were brought up and how they played the game, how they deal with winning and how they deal with losing. Obviously, for those of you who were at the match, we didn’t see much of that on either side unfortunately. But we still celebrated the win! Sport teaches you a lot of lessons and as long as you learn to take the good with the bad, at the end you are going to end up on top, he added.

For those in the dark, in the drama-filled Asia Cup final, India clinched a dramatic victory over Pakistan by five wickets, but the match was overshadowed by controversy — the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from the ACC President (also Pakistan’s PCB chairman), and did not exchange handshakes with the Pakistani players due to geopolitical tensions.

During our sit-down interview right the press-meet to announce SGL details, Bhupathi appeared mildly distracted, as though he’d rather be anywhere else than fielding questions. His clipped answers, however, revealed a sharp clarity about what sport means to him — both as a player and now as a co-founder of SGL.

That conviction underpins his latest project — the Stars Golf League, an ambitious new tournament set to debut in Dubai next year at The Els Club Dubai. The four-day golfing event, to be held from March 25th to 28th, will see golf legends, world-class champions, and celebrities unite under the green turf. Players will compete for a total professional prize pool of $1million.

“We’re playing with some of the biggest names the sport has ever seen, such as Ernie Els. The format is unique — four legends of the game, one lady from the European tour, and six sports stars who all play a very high quality of golf. Add to that six franchise owners, and we’re looking forward to it in March at Els Golf Club,” he explained. Bollywood actor Madhavan

Bhupathi won’t be part of the action on the greens himself.

“I don’t play golf. I’m involved in running the event. I don’t think I’m good enough to be invited!” he admitted with a laugh. But he’s adamant this is no celebrity gimmick.

“Golf and tennis have been positioned as elite sports for decades, but when we create events like this with the best athletes in the world, the competitive spirit always takes over. People may call it an exhibition, but if you saw the videos of our tennis league or padel league, you know that once athletes step on the field, they give it their all. They’re playing for serious prize money, so I think everyone watching will have a great time.”

For him, Dubai is the perfect stage for such a star-studded showdown. “Dubai spoils us for choice. There’s something happening every weekend — sport, entertainment, you name it. Players love coming here, musicians love coming here, and we’re just trying to capitalise on that energy and opportunity,” he said.

And while he has stepped comfortably into the organiser’s role, Bhupathi is still a fan at heart.

“I’m a massive Manchester United fan, so being on the same podium as Dwight Yorke today was super exciting for me,” he added with a grin.