Pakistan's Kabaddi player lands in huge trouble for representing Indian team

A star Pakistani Kabaddi player was spotted wearing an Indian jersey at the GCC Cup.

A Pakistani international Kabaddi player has landed in serious trouble after representing a team labelled as India in a private tournament held in Bahrain earlier this month.

Ubaidullah Rajput, a well-known figure in Pakistan’s Kabaddi circuit, is facing the prospect of disciplinary action from the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation following his appearance in the GCC Cup on December 16.

The controversy erupted after videos and photographs of Rajput wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag began circulating widely on social media. The visuals sparked outrage back home, prompting the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation to take immediate notice of the incident.

Confirming the development, Pakistan Kabaddi Federation secretary Rana Sarwar said that an emergency meeting of the federation has been scheduled for December 27 to deliberate on the matter and decide on possible action against Rajput and other involved players.

“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 the, which is unacceptable in these circumstances,” Sarwar told PTI.

Sarwar further revealed that as many as 16 Pakistani players had travelled to Bahrain without seeking mandatory clearance from the federation or the Pakistan Sports Board, adding that the issue goes beyond Rajput’s participation alone.

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

In response to the backlash, Rajput issued a clarification and apology, stating that he had been invited to the tournament as part of a privately formed team and was not initially aware of how the side would be represented.

“But I didn’t know until later they had named the side the Indian team, and I told the organisers not to use names of India and Pakistan.”

He further stressed that he had no intention of representing India, particularly given the sensitive political context between the two nations.

“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.”

While Indian and Pakistani players have previously featured together in private competitions, this has traditionally been under neutral or club identities, not under national labels.

However, the Bahrain incident appears to have crossed a red line, leaving Rajput and several others facing uncertain consequences as the federation prepares to take a final call.

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