The kabaddi has seen many changes in its development over the years. In the past, kabaddi was only considered as a rural sport. But now, it is being played in urban areas. Kabaddi has become a mainstream sport in recent years, with many teams forming to play the game. If you’re a Kabaddi lover, you will definitely want to check out the Kabaddi World Cup, which will be held in 2025. You’ll find a lot of interesting information here about the history of the game, the format for the tournament, and the host city.
Table of Contents
History
Kabaddi is a sport that originated in India, and also a contact sport. Players try to tag opponents, and if they manage to do so, they will earn points by entering the opposing territory. This is known as the “tag” or “tag-or-fend” strategy. This sport has a long history in India and is played in different regions. In fact, it was first played in the Vedic period.
The Kabaddi World Cup is an indoor international kabaddi tournament organized by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) in the standard style. The tournament has been played in 2004, 2007 and 2016.The first Women’s Kabaddi World Cup was held in India.
It features the leading men and women’s teams from around the world. The current format of the tournament consists of a round robin group stage with ten nations in two groups, with the first and second place finishers in each group advancing to the semi-finals.
The game of kabaddi is played on a court that is split into two halves and occupied by two teams of seven players. The aim of the game is to get into the opponent’s half and tag as many opponents as possible without being tackled. This is done by scoring points with the use of a bonus line.
As part of its commitment to the sport, Birmingham is aiming to create a long-term economic legacy. Earlier this year, it hosted the Commonwealth Games, a sporting competition aimed at promoting positive relationships between people from different cultures. In terms of production and broadcasting, kabaddi has made some serious advances in recent years. It is only behind cricket’s Indian Premier League in terms of viewership.
Also Read : The Rise of Indian Kabaddi Team: Dominance in the Sport
The Performance of India in the Kabaddi World Cup
In the past, India has dominated the sport. It has won all three Kabaddi World Cups. In fact, India has always dominated the international kabaddi tournament, be it in the men’s or women’s category.
Past Participating Teams
- 2004
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
 India Canada Thailand West Indies |  Japan Malaysia South Korea United Kingdom |  Bangladesh Germany Iran Nepal |
- 2007
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
India Kyrgyzstan Sri Lanka Pakistan | Iran Nepal South Korea United Kingdom | Bangladesh Afghanistan Italy Thailand | Japan Malaysia Turkmenistan West Indies |
- 2016
| Pool A | Pool B |
India Bangladesh England Australia South Korea Argentina | Japan Iran United States Poland Kenya Thailand |
- Ranking
| Year | Host | Champions | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mumbai, India | India | Iran | Bangladesh / Canada |
| 2007 | Panvel, India | India | Iran | Bangladesh / Japan |
| 2016 | Ahmedabad, India | India | Iran | South Korea / Thailand |
In all three editions, India defeated Iran in the finals and have been the dominant force on the international circuit. The first Kabaddi World Cup was held in 2004 in Mumbai, where India beat Iran 55-27 in the final. The second World Cup was held in 2007 in Pavil, India, where the Indian team again defeated Iran by a score of 29-19.
Ahmedabad hosted the third edition of the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016, with defending champions India faltering in the group stage to South Korea. The hosts then made a comeback, beating Iran 38-29 to win their third consecutive World Cup title. But whether this will still be the case in the next World Cup is what all kabaddi fans will be looking forward to watching.
Also Read : Kabaddi World Cup: India Dominates by Winning 3 Titles
Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will host by the West Midlands in England
The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be hosted by the West Midlands in England, marking the first edition after the 2020 edition was canceled due to Covid-19. This will be a significant milestone in the global expansion of sports across Europe, according to Ashok Das, President of the World Kabaddi Federation and England Kabbadi. The event is expected to be broadcast on major television networks around the world.
The 2025 event will be organized by England Kabbadi, Scottish Kabaddi, and the British Kabbadi League, with the support of the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), the region’s official economic development agency. The WMGC will champion the event to ensure its impact is felt across the West Midlands and the UK, and it will also offer an opportunity to build business and trade links between the West Midlands, the UK, and India.
The previous three editions of the Kabaddi World Cup were held in India, with the host nation winning all three. This will be the first international tournament to be held outside India. The tournament is expected to feature the top teams from around the world, including the India, Pakistan, England, Iran, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Argentina, and Kenya. These biggest names will compete for the trophy.
The West Midlands is now the spiritual home of the sport of Kabaddi in the UK
The second edition of the British Kabaddi League (BKL) kicked off in the West Midlands during the Easter Bank Holiday. The tournament was launched in Wolverhampton last year following the merger of the English and Scottish leagues and since its inception has been played mainly in the West Midlands. The BKL has taken off in terms of popularity. The Grand Prix at Wolverhampton over the Easter Bank Holiday topped the BBC iPlayer viewer list and was the second most viewed page on the BBC Sport website.
The success of BKL has also put us in a prime position to make waves around the world. Last fall, we went to India, the sport’s global spiritual home, to announce that the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup would be hosted in the West Midlands. This will be the first time the event has been held outside of Asia. This is a tremendous achievement for our major sporting event delivery program and will provide a huge cultural and economic boost to the region.
Conclusion
Kabaddi is fast becoming a global sport, with tournaments now taking place in Europe and North America, and remains one of the most popular pastimes in South Asia. Many Indians watch the matches on TV or online. Kabaddi has seen a huge boost in popularity in India. As a result, players have become famous, and they also earn a lot of money.
The World Kabaddi Federation was founded in 2003. WKF has over 50 members and aims to promote the sport around the world. The sport gained more attention when India won medals in the Asian Games. The sport is played in sold out stadiums in almost every city in India. Today, it is the second most popular sport after cricket.
The upcoming Kabaddi World Cup 2025 is an international event that many of you have been waiting for. If you are a fan of Kabaddi, then you can’t miss it!
Also Read : Indian Kabaddi Team: Why are they the most successful team in the world