Pakistan Kabaddi Player Ubaidullah Rajput Banned Indefinitely After Wearing Indian Team Jersey, Waving Tri-Colour

Days after turning out for an Indian team in a private tournament in Bahrain, well-known Pakistan kabaddi player Ubaidullah Rajput has been banned indefinitely by his national federation on Saturday (December 28, 2025).

After an emergency meeting on Saturday, the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) imposed the ban, finding Rajput guilty of travelling overseas to play in the tournament without getting the requisite no-objection certificate (NOC) from the federation or other relevant authorities.

A PTI report quoted PKF secretary Rana Sarwar as saying that Rajput has the right to appeal before a disciplinary committee. The fact that Rajput not only travelled abroad without an NOC but also represented a team from India, wore its jersey and, at one point, wrapped the Indian flag around his shoulders after winning a match, did not go down well with the federation, Sarwar added.

"But he (Rajput) has claimed it was a total misunderstanding and he was never told the team he would play for in the private tournament would be an Indian side. But he is still guilty of flouting NOC rules," Sarwar was quoted as saying in the report.

Rajput found himself in trouble after videos and photos of him wearing an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag during the GCC Cup went viral on social media.

Sarwar added that other players have also been banned and fined for participating in the event without obtaining NOCs.

Rajput had earlier issued an apology, stating that he was invited to play in the tournament in Bahrain and was included in a private team.

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

"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 PTI inputs)