Sans ministry nod, Punjab kabaddi players in Lahore

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 9

The Punjab Kabaddi Association (PKA) has sent an “Indian” team to Pakistan for the kabaddi “World Cup”, arousing a controversy.

The team from India reached Lahore on Saturday via the Wagah crossing. However, the Sports Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that no official permission had been given to any team to participate in the event in Pakistan.

The team has been sent by the PKA, whose officials claim that the players are not representing the country but are playing as an “individual unit”. PKA vice-president Tejinder Singh Middukhera said: “The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation is organising the championship to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and since circle-style kabaddi is played only in Punjab, we have got the invitation to participate there.” 

“If a team represents a country, it needs the necessary permission from the government,” he added. “But the players affiliated with us went there (Pakistan) on their own and will play as a unit. They have been to other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA, in a similar manner to participate in various tournaments.”

Asked about the players wearing tracksuits with ‘India’ emblazoned on the back, and the team being welcomed as an ‘India’ team, Middukhera said: “They cannot wear tracksuits with ‘Punjab’ in an international tournament. There is nothing controversial about it. They are not representing the country. There are two factions in Pakistan kabaddi, and it seems the other (non-ruling) faction has created this controversy.”

The Tribune made several attempts to contact the team’s coach, Harprit Singh Baba, and Gurlal Ghanaur, the captain, who are in Pakistan, but they could not be reached.

“The Punjab Government has not sent any team to represent the state or the nation in any championship in Pakistan,” said Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Punjab Sports Minister. “If the PKA is confirming that it has sent the players, they should identify them.”

“I cannot comment on the issue,” said Mohammad Sarwar, Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) secretary, on phone from Lahore. “But how can it be possible that a team crosses the border without permission?”

The tournament, which started in Lahore on Sunday, is being jointly organised by Pakistan Punjab’s government, Sports Board Punjab and the PKF. Teams from Canada, USA, Australia, England, Iran, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Azerbaijan are participating in the event, apart from the team from Punjab in India.