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What's the story?
Pakistan recorded their first-ever Kabaddi World Cup championship victory with a 43-41 win over an unauthorized Indian team in the final in Lahore. The Pakistani team trailed their rivals for a major part of the contest but came back from behind to send the fans home happy.
The background
A few days ago, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had shockingly revealed that it had not given approval to any Indian player or official to be a part of the circle-styled Kabaddi World Cup in Pakistan. The IOA chief made this statement after it was learned that around 45 Indian players and 12 coaches have landed in Pakistan to take part in the event. Some reports even alleged that the Indian players had been 'adjusted' into other teams since their players did not arrive in Pakistan to play in the tourney.
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The heart of the matter
According to Hindustan Times, the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) had written a letter to the top officials in Pakistan to stop the Indian players from playing under the national flag. AKFI wrote:
“AKFI has requested Pakistan Kabaddi Federation not to permit any individual to play any ‘Kabaddi World Cup’ to represent ‘India’. The individual should not be allowed to wear jersey/track suits with the name ‘India’. They cannot use India flag.”
Although there was a lot of controversy surrounding the Indian team, the players took their team to the finale where they eventually lost to the hosts. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated his men for winning their maiden Kabaddi World Cup with the aforementioned tweet.
What's next?
The AKFI is currently investigating how the Indian players and coaches reached Pakistan without their consent. It will be interesting to see what action the kabaddi governing body takes against the team.
