A major controversy has erupted in the world of kabaddi after a leading Pakistani international player, Ubaidullah Rajput, participated in a private tournament in Bahrain while representing a team labelled as 'India'. The incident has put his career in jeopardy as officials back home consider strict disciplinary measures.
The Controversial Incident in Bahrain
The issue came to light after images and videos from the GCC Cup held on December 16 began circulating widely on social media. The visuals showed Rajput not only wearing an Indian team jersey but also waving the Indian flag during the event. His appearance for the side named 'India' immediately triggered a wave of criticism and drew the attention of sports authorities in Pakistan.
Federation's Response and Planned Action
Rana Sarwar, the Secretary of the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF), confirmed the development. He stated that an emergency meeting of the federation has been scheduled for December 27 to review the matter in detail. The meeting will decide on the action to be taken against Rajput and several other players involved in the incident.
Sarwar clarified that the tournament in Bahrain was a privately organised competition. The organisers had formed private teams and named them after countries including India, Pakistan, Canada, and Iran. However, he emphasized a critical rule: each team was expected to be composed of players originating from that specific country.
"I can confirm it was a private event with private teams formed under the names of India, Pakistan, Canada, Iran etc by the organisers. But all the teams had players of their own origin. Indian players represented the Indian private side and Ubaidullah played for them, which is unacceptable in these circumstances," Sarwar explained.
He further revealed a broader issue, stating that 16 Pakistani players had travelled to Bahrain in their personal capacity without seeking the necessary approval from either the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation or the Pakistan Sports Board. "As a result, action will also be taken against these players for falsely playing under the name of the Pakistan team," he added.
Player's Apology and Explanation
Amid the growing backlash, Ubaidullah Rajput has issued a public apology and provided his side of the story. He claimed that he was invited to participate in the tournament and was selected for a private team. According to him, he was not initially informed that this side would be presented as the 'Indian' team.
"I did not know until later that they had named the side as the Indian team, and I told the organisers not to use the names of India and Pakistan," Rajput said. He pointed out that in past private competitions, Indian and Pakistani players have often played together in mixed teams, but never under official national team identities.
"I was not under the impression until I found out later that I was misrepresented as playing for the Indian team, which I can’t think of doing, especially after the conflict," the player added, referencing the historical tensions between the two nations.
The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation is now set to deliberate on all these circumstances. Rajput's future in international kabaddi hangs in the balance as officials weigh his explanation against the perceived breach of protocol and national sporting sentiment.
