Pakistan storm into World Cup semis

Kabaddi team faces India in last-four, dope-tainted players count up to 27.

KARACHI:

Pakistan continued their excellent run in the Kabaddi World Cup, qualifying for the semi-final after defeating Norway 65-17 in a group match, to set up a highly anticipated last-four clash with arch-rivals India.

Besides Pakistan and India, the US and Canada have also made it to the knockout stage of the tournament. Pakistan will be taking on India on November 18.

However, the tournament’s Organising Secretary Sikandar Singh Maloka has said that the draws might change as three players from the US and Canada have tested positive for doping. According to Maloka, the ruling committee of the event has already expelled Australia from the World Cup after five players from their team were found guilty of taking banned substances.

“It is shocking but we need to carry on with the tournament,” Maloka told The Express Tribune. “We have already expelled Australia. Yesterday three players from the US and Canada hafailed their dope tests. We are in a dilemma whether to allow the two teams to continue and play the semi-finals or not.”

The count of players found guilty for doping in the tournament has risen to 27.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) Secretary Muhammad Sarwar believed that Pakistan’s performance was all the more praiseworthy as they had been winning through fair means.

Sarwar said that the federation had made sure before the event that the players representing Pakistan were not taking banned substances and had dropped Imtiaz Aslam who tested positive, on its own accord before the tournament.

“We’re answerable to the Pakistan Sports Board and we can’t afford to cheat,” he said. “Therefore, we made sure that our selected players weren’t taking any banned substances.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2011.