Pakistan’s youth kabaddi team is facing significant challenges in its preparation for the 3rd Asian Youth Games to be held from October 22 to 31, 2025, in Bahrain.
This correspondent has reliably learnt that the under-18 players attended a training camp at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad from May 24 to June 30. However, since the conclusion of the initial five-week phase the 20 athletes have returned home as Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had sanctioned only a limited-duration camp.
Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has written to the PSB requesting an extension of the training camp but, so far, no further action has been taken. The interruption in training has disrupted the players’ momentum and fitness levels, an issue of particular concern at this crucial preparatory stage.
“A break at this stage will affect players’ conditioning significantly. We are extremely concerned as we are already short of time and this interruption has undermined the progress made during the initial five-week phase,” a team source told Nukta.
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The PKF has also encountered major difficulties in shortlisting players for the camp. Most of the selected players are raw talent and require considerable work in terms of fitness, skills development and match temperament.
While Pakistan participated in the Junior World Cup held in Iran in 2023, this will be the first time the country is fielding a team at the youth level in an international event. Top regional teams like India and Iran appear significantly stronger in this age group. India conducted a national championship specifically for this age category, giving it a considerable advantage in team selection and preparation.
In contrast Pakistan did not hold a similar national event. Instead, players were selected from various clubs which limited the talent pool. A more effective approach would have been organizing a national-level competition at the school level in key kabaddi regions which could ensure a more robust selection process.
Nukta has also learnt that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) issued two different letters relating to the age eligibility. The first letter stated that athletes born between January 2007 and December 2010 were eligible. Based on this PKF conducted trials and began training. However, a subsequent letter revised the criteria to athletes born between January 2008 and December 2010, forcing the federation to drop some initially selected players and bring in new ones which added to the challenges of the coaching staff.
As part of their development the coaching staff arranged a friendly match between the youth team and the Navy’s senior team a few days ago. Although Navy emerged victorious, the youth team’s performance was encouraging and it showed a noticeable progress.
Coaches now plan to schedule additional matches against senior departmental teams once the camp will resume following PSB’s new order which is expected soon. Such exposure is expected to significantly aid to the players preparation for the upcoming event in Manama.
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