The arrival of an ‘Indian team’ in Pakistan for the World Kabaddi Championship has sparked a debate after the sports ministry and the national federation claimed to have not granted permission to any team to travel to the neighbouring country.
Despite no permission, a contingent from India is said to have reached Lahore on Saturday via the Wagah Border.
The championship is being hosted by Pakistan for the first time. All the six previous editions of the World Kabbadi Championship took place in India between 2010 and 2019.
India have won all six championships, defeating Pakistan in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions.
Pictures and footage of the Indians arriving in Lahore started surfacing in social media. The Pakistan Punjab Minister for Sports Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti welcomed the ‘Indian contingent’ at a Lahore hotel.
According to a sports ministry source, they said that the government has not granted permission to any athlete to travel to Pakistan for the event.
“The sports ministry and the ministry of external affairs have not granted any permission to any team, which is mandatory while representing the country at any international event,” a sports ministry source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
The administrator of Amateur Kabbadi Federation of India (AKFI) Justice (Retd) S P Garg also said that the national body has not cleared any such team.
“We have no information about any Kabbadi team which has gone to Pakistan. No permission was ever granted by AKFI to any team to go to Pakistan and play any Kabbadi match there,” he said, according to PTI.
“We came to know about it only after the information was sought. AKFI does not support any such activity. Legal action may be taken against the defaulters,” he added.
According to procedures to participate at overseas events, athletes or teams need to communicate with the sports ministry which in turn will write to the MEA for political clearance.
From there it will go to the Home Ministry for security clearance, irrespective of whether the government is funding the contingent or not.
As for the tournament, it opens on Monday at the Punjab Football Stadium in Lahore followed by some matches which will also be held in Faisalabad and Gujrat.
According to Pakistani organisers, teams from Australia, England, Germany, Iran, Azerbaijan, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Canada are also taking part in the event.
The winner of the tournament will get 10 million rupees, while the runner ups will get 7.5 million rupees.
