Web Desk: After facing intense backlash from citizens and social media activists, Pakistani kabaddi player Ubaidullah Rajput has issued a clarification after footage of him playing for a team labelled as “India” in a Bahrain tournament sparked criticism at home, prompting scrutiny from the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation.
Rajput said the annual tournament in Bahrain is a local event and that he has participated in it previously. However, he said the team he played for in earlier editions did not invite him this year, while another team extended an offer that he accepted.
“I swear I did not know the teams would be named India and Pakistan,” Rajput said. “When I was entering the ground, friends told me I was playing for the Indian side. I immediately asked the commentator to announce that this was not an India–Pakistan match but a local cup.”
Crowd slogans trigger backlash
Nonetheless, Rajput said chants and flag-waving began during the match, something he said he neither anticipated nor encouraged. He stressed that the event was not an international competition and had no official status.
“This was only a cup, not a World Cup, and there is no such World Cup,” he said. “If it were an official event, I would have played only for Pakistan. I am Pakistani, and Pakistan means everything to me.”
Meanwhile, Rajput acknowledged receiving negative comments online and offered an apology to anyone hurt by the incident. He also expressed regret to his federation, coaches and supporters, urging that the tournament be viewed strictly as a local sporting event.
Federation launches probe
In response, the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation convened an emergency meeting of its general council to review the matter. Federation Secretary Rana Sarwar said Chairman Chaudhry Shafay Hussain has called a meeting for Dec. 27 to determine further action.
Sarwar said 16 Pakistani players participated in the Bahrain tournament, adding that it was not a national team event and that no permission or no-objection certificates were issued for participation.
He further said a Pakistani national player wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag was “unacceptable,” warning that a formal investigation would follow. Authorities, he added, would take strict action if violations are confirmed and would also move against what he described as self-appointed promoters of unauthorised events.
The controversy has renewed debate over player participation in privately organised overseas tournaments and the need for clearer regulatory oversight by sports federations.
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