No one gave permission to go to Pak: Kiren Rijiju after Indian Kabaddi team arrives in Pak

NEW DELHI: After pics of Indian Kabaddi Team arriving in Lahore for the World Kabaddi Championship surfaced through social media platforms, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday made it clear that no Indian athlete was given permission for competing in the neighboring country and the national federation has not sent a team to Pakistan to participate in the World Kabaddi Championship.

"No one has given permission to any Kabaddi player to go to Pakistan. Issuance of giving visa is the sovereign prerogative of a country, we have no role in granting visa. We'll talk to the Kabaddi federation on whether it was an informed visit or not," Kiren Rijiju said.

Earlier, the managing director of Amateur Kabbadi Federation of India (AKFI) Justice (Retd) S.P. Garg also said that the national body has not permitted 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 or athlete to go to Pakistan and play any Kabbadi match there. 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 said.

The officials of the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation welcomed and felicitated the Indian players when they crossed into Pakistan from Wagah border. And from there they were taken in a security convoy to their hotel in Lahore.

All the six previous editions of the World Kabbadi Championship took place in India between 2010 and 2019, India has won all 6 championships, defeating Pakistan in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions respectively. This is the first time that Pakistan is hosting a tournament with a total number of 10 countries taking part - India, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, Iran, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

The winner of the tournament will get 10 million rupees (1 Crore rupees in Pak currency) while the runner ups will get 7.5 million rupees.

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