Pakistani Kabaddi Player Faces Action After Playing for ‘Indian Team’ in Bahrain

Pakistani kabaddi player Ubaidullah Rajput has landed in serious trouble after his participation in a private tournament in Bahrain sparked controversy back home. The incident occurred during the GCC Cup

on December 16, where Rajput was seen representing a team labelled as "India", wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag - visuals that quickly went viral on social media.

The backlash prompted the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) to take swift notice. Federation secretary Rana Sarwar confirmed that an emergency meeting has been scheduled for December 27 to determine disciplinary measures against Rajput and other players involved.

According to Sarwar, Rajput's actions crossed an unacceptable line, especially given the current political sensitivities.

"I can confirm it was a private event with private teams formed under the names of India, Pakistan, Canada, Iran etc. in the competition 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 said.

The issue extends beyond Rajput alone. Sarwar revealed that 16 Pakistani players travelled to Bahrain without seeking mandatory clearance from either the PKF or the Pakistan Sports Board. Compounding matters, these players allegedly competed under the name of the Pakistan team without official authorisation.

"So action will also be taken against these players for falsely playing under the names of Pakistan team," Sarwar added.

Facing mounting criticism, Rajput issued an apology and offered his explanation, stating that he was invited purely for a private event and had no intention of representing India. He claimed the organisers misrepresented the team identity without his prior knowledge.

"But I didn't know until later they had named the side Indian team and I told the organizers to don't use names of India and Pakistan," Rajput said.

He further explained that mixed-nationality participation in private kabaddi events is not unprecedented, but stressed that it has never occurred under official country names.

"In private competitions in the past Indian and Pakistan players have played together for a private team but never under the names of India or Pakistan," he said. "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 after the conflict. "

With the federation's disciplinary meeting approaching, Rajput's future with the national setup remains uncertain, as Pakistani sports authorities look to send a strong message on protocol and national representation.