The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) enforced the ban following an emergency meeting on Saturday, determining that Rajput traveled abroad to compete in the tournament without securing a mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the federation or relevant authorities.
PKF secretary Rana Sarwar stated that Rajput has the option to appeal to a disciplinary committee.
Sarwar emphasized that the federation viewed it as a serious issue that Rajput not only traveled without an NOC but also represented an Indian team, donned its jersey, and, at one point, wrapped the Indian flag around himself after winning a match.
“However, he (Rajput) has asserted that it was a complete misunderstanding and he was never informed that the team he would be playing for in the private tournament was an Indian side. Still, he is accountable for violating NOC regulations,” Sarwar remarked.
Rajput faced backlash after videos and images of him in an Indian jersey and waving the Indian flag at the GCC Cup circulated widely on social media.
Sarwar noted that other players have also been banned and fined for engaging in the event without obtaining NOCs.
Earlier, Rajput had issued an apology, explaining that he was invited to participate in the tournament in Bahrain as a member of a private team.
“I wasn’t aware until later that they had labeled the team as an Indian team, and I instructed the organizers not to associate with the names of India and Pakistan. In past private competitions, players from India and Pakistan have played together under neutral team names,” he stated.
“I later discovered that I was misrepresented as playing for the Indian team, which I cannot fathom doing given the current conflict.”
