The Pakistani Kabaddi governing body, Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has requested the highest authority of World Kabaddi to change the venue of the forthcoming Kabaddi World Cup in India. The tournament is scheduled to take place in the Indian state of Punjab next month.
The neighboring countries are going through a tense situation following terrorist attacks in the Indian Army camp in Uri. The Government of Pakistan is currently receiving intense diplomatic pressure from India and the several Asian countries, who has boycotted both sporting and political events in or with Pakistan in recent times.
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Following the intense situation, The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation has forwarded a letter to the International Kabaddi Federation stating their request to postpone the World Cup in India, starting from the first week of the next month, Pakistani newspaper Roznama Dunya reported today. According to the newspaper, the Federation also requested the World Federation to move the World Cup venue elsewhere from India.
This move came from the Pakistani Federation quiet expectedly as the Government of India and the Indian Federation decided not to invite the Asian neighbors to the world tournament just yesterday. According to reports, this decision was taken considering both the international relationship situation and the security of the visiting team.
When asked the president of the organizing committee as well as a cabinet minister in the Indian state of Punjab Sikander Singh Maluka about the decision, he said that the edgy situation in the Line of Control between India and Pakistan does not bode well with an invitation to Pakistan for the Kabaddi World Cup.
"The situation in the state following the surgical strike by Indian Army at the LoC does not augur well to invite Pakistan for the World Cup scheduled to be held between November 3 and 17,” Singh said to The Times of India.
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In return, the secretary of Pakistan Kabaddi Federation Rana Sarwar expressed his disappointment over the decision to exclude Pakistan as a participating nation.According to some reports in the previous month, villages near 10 kilometers of the Line of Control with Pakistan was given the order to evacuate by the Government of India as they feared for the security of the Indian citizens residing there.
The World Cup Kabaddi is scheduled to take place in between a two-week span from November 3 to November 17. The Pakistani Kabaddi team are six times runners-up of the prestigious tournament.
