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The start of the first Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup held outside Asia is less than a week away. The seven-day tournament, to be held in the West Midlands, England, will showcase the remarkable global growth of the sport, with an estimated audience of up to 500 million people worldwide.

Kabaddi, a sport originating in India with more than 4,000 years of history, has evolved into one of the most watched sports in South Asia. With a mix of tactical strategy, quick raids and hard-hitting tackles, Kabaddi involves players scoring points by crossing into their opponent’s territory and returning safely. The sport was included as an exhibition discipline at the 1936 Olympic Games and has been a medal sport at the Asian Games since 1990.

A GLOBAL AND DIVERSE TOURNAMENT
Supported by World Kabaddi, organized by the English Kabaddi Association and managed by the British Kabaddi League (BKL), the tournament will feature the world’s best men’s and women’s teams. Nearly 50 matches will be played in Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and the competition will be broadcast globally via platforms such as BBC iPlayer, Olympic Channel, DD Sports and Willow TV.

This tournament will not only highlight the growing popularity of Kabaddi, but will also be a symbol of inclusion and diversity in sport. As Kabaddi continues its global expansion, World Kabaddi is driving efforts to secure its place in high-profile multi-sport events, including the Olympic Games.

A MILESTONE FOR THE KABADDI
The Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup represents a key milestone in this vision, building on the momentum of expanding leagues such as the BKL, which launched in 2022 and was broadcast live on BBC iPlayer in the UK last year.

Ashok Das, Chairman of World Kabaddi, comments, “With less than a week to go until the start of the Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup, excitement is growing among players, coaches and fans around the world for this historic moment for our sport. Taking the tournament outside of Asia for the first time is a testament to the growth of Kabaddi as a popular and investable global proposition. We hope this event will be a catalyst for further growth within the Olympic Movement.”

A DREAM COME TRUE
Prem Singh, CEO of the BKL, added that it is “getting closer and closer to fulfilling the dream of thousands of Kabaddi players by bringing the Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup to the West Midlands region. The British Kabaddi League has been a great success since its launch in 2022, underlining the growing interest in playing and watching the sport. We are confident that this tournament will create even more opportunities for communities to engage with a sport deeply rooted in their cultural heritage.”

AN EVENT THAT BRINGS COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
Joel Lavery, strategic leader of sporting events at the West Midlands Growth Company, highlighted that “the Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup presents a unique opportunity for the West Midlands region to share the incredible story of Kabaddi and its ambitious plans for the future. The sport unites communities and has diversity and inclusion at its core, so it is exciting to have its flagship event in our region.”