19/12/2025
The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has convened an emergency meeting of its general council on Dec 27 to probe the participation of national player Ubaidullah Rajput in a private tournament in Bahrain, where he was seen wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag.
Videos and images of Ubaidullah, a prominent international kabaddi player, donning the Indian kit during the third GCC Kabaddi Cup, held on December 16 at the Gulf Air Club in Salmabad, went viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism.
In a statement, PKF secretary Rana Sarwar condemned the incident, stating that the event was privately organised and that teams were named after countries such as India, Pakistan, Canada and Iran. He said the squads largely comprised players of their respective origins, with Indian players forming the ‘India’ side.
Sarwar revealed that 16 Pakistani players travelled to Bahrain and participated in the event without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the federation or the Pakistan Sports Board.
“No official Pakistan team was sent and no permission was granted,” he said, adding that action would also be taken against those who falsely represented a ‘Pakistan’ team at the tournament.
PKF chairman Chaudhry Shafay Hussain has ordered a thorough inquiry and promised strict disciplinary action against those found responsible.
Meanwhile, Ubaidullah issued a public apology on social media, claiming he was unaware that the private team he had been invited to join would be labelled as ‘India’.
He maintained that it was a local annual cup and not an official India-Pakistan contest, and said he only realised how the match was being portrayed after hearing slogans from the crowd.
In a video statement, Ubaidullah said he requested the commentator to clarify that the match was a club-level event rather than a bilateral contest. He said he would not have participated had he known it would be projected as an India-Pakistan fixture.
Responding to the backlash, including accusations of treason, Ubaidullah appealed to the public not to brand him a traitor, reiterating his apology to the federation and those whose sentiments were hurt.
The federation emphasised that while players from different countries often feature together in club events, representing another country and displaying its flag was unacceptable, particularly under the prevailing circumstances.