Indian Kabaddi in turmoil as IKF imposes ban over governance issues

Indian kabaddi is facing a fresh crisis as the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) has barred the country's players from participating in international competitions.

This decision comes in response to the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India's (AKFI) failure to establish a duly elected body to manage its daily affairs.

Currently, AKFI is under the control of an administrator, and a writ petition regarding its governance is pending before the Delhi High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Despite holding elections in December 2023, where Vibhor was elected president and Jitendra Pran Singh as secretary general, the returning officer has made the approval of the election results contingent on the court's decision.

Consequently, AKFI remains under the administrator's management.

In a letter to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha, IKF chief Vinod Kumar Tiwari stated, "It has come to our knowledge that the administrator of AKFI has conducted the elections to the AKFI on 24.12.2023 and one managing committee has already been elected, yet the management of the AKFI continues with the administrator. This is a clear violation of the conditions for affiliation to the IKF. Therefore, it has been decided that the teams sent by the AKFI shall not be allowed to participate in the 1st Senior Men's World Beach Kabaddi Championships."

This ban not only affects the players' immediate prospects but also poses a significant challenge to the sport's development and popularity in India.