Pakistani kabaddi player Ubaidullah Rajput is facing possible disciplinary action after appearing for a team labelled as India during a private kabaddi tournament in Bahrain on December 16. The controversy erupted after videos and images of Rajput wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag at the GCC Cup went viral on social media.
Ubaidullah Rajput Under Scanner
The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has taken notice of the incident and announced that an emergency meeting will be held on December 27 to decide on disciplinary measures against Rajput and several other players.
PKF Secretary Rana Sarwar confirmed that the tournament was a privately organised event, where teams were named after countries such as India, Pakistan, Canada, and Iran. However, he stressed that players were expected to represent teams aligned with their nationality.
“Indian players represented the Indian private team, and Ubaidullah playing for them is unacceptable in these circumstances,” Sarwar said.
Sarwar further revealed that 16 Pakistani players travelled to Bahrain and participated in the tournament without permission from either the PKF or the Pakistan Sports Board. He stated that action would also be taken against those players for falsely competing under the name of Pakistan.
Ubaidullah Rajput’s Explainer
In response, Rajput issued a public apology and clarified his position. He said he was invited to play for a private team and was initially unaware that the organisers had named the side “India.”
“Once I found out, I asked the organisers not to use the names of India and Pakistan,” Rajput explained.
He added that in previous private tournaments, Indian and Pakistani players have played together in mixed teams, but never under national names. Rajput insisted he had no intention of representing India and said he felt misrepresented, particularly given the current political tensions between the two countries.
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The PKF is now expected to decide on potential penalties, which could range from fines to suspension, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding national identity and representation in international and private sporting events.
