Ashamed of representing Pakistan? THIS kabaddi player decides to represent India instead, faces action
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ashamed of representing Pakistan? THIS kabaddi player decides to represent India instead, faces action")
Ashamed of representing Pakistan? THIS kabaddi player decides to represent India instead. Details inside Photograph: (PTI)
A Pakistani kabaddi player faces scrutiny after playing for a team labelled India in Bahrain. The federation will review the incident and decide on disciplinary action for unauthorised participation.
Pakistani international kabaddi player Ubaidullah Rajput is facing possible disciplinary action after playing for a team labelled as ‘India’ at a private kabaddi tournament in Bahrain on Tuesday (Dec 16). The incident sparked controversy in Pakistan after photos and videos circulated on social media showing Rajput wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag during the GCC Cup event. The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has announced that it will hold an emergency meeting on Saturday (Dec 27) to decide on potential action against Rajput and other players involved.
PKF secretary Rana Sarwar explained that the tournament featured privately owned teams named after various countries, including India, Pakistan, Canada, and Iran. However, players were expected to play for teams aligned with their national origins. “It was a private event with teams named India, Pakistan, Canada, Iran and others by the organisers. However, each team was made up of players from the same country. Indian players represented the Indian private team; Ubaidullah playing for them is unacceptable in these circumstances,” Sarwar said.
Sarwar also revealed that at least 16 Pakistani players travelled to Bahrain without obtaining mandatory clearance from the federation or the Pakistan Sports Board. “Action will be taken not only against Rajput but also against players who competed under the name of Pakistan without authorisation. Action will also be taken against those who falsely played under the name of the Pakistan team,” he added.
Following the backlash, Rajput issued a public apology and offered his side of the story. He said he was invited to participate in a private tournament and only realised later that his team was named India. “I was not aware initially that they had named the team India. Once I found out, I told the organisers not to use the names of India and Pakistan,” he said.
Rajput emphasised that he had no intention of representing India, especially given the current political tensions. He added that mixed teams of Indian and Pakistani players have competed together in private tournaments in the past, but never under national names. “I never intended to play for India. I realised later that I was being misrepresented, which is something I cannot even think of doing given the current situation,” he explained.
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