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BBC News
22-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
West Midlands Kabaddi matches seen by millions
The Kabaddi World Cup will go to its final stages this weekend with events including Sunday's final sold out - and an audience of millions are expected to stream the matches place in the West Midlands, it is the first time the tournament has been held outside Asia with matches this week taking place in Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Singh, chief executive of the British Kabaddi League, said the audience on the Indian subcontinent alone had been more than 40m, with events shown on social media and other platforms."The atmosphere has been brilliant, the spirit of sportsmanship has been amazing – unbelievable so far," he said. The main achievement had been bringing communities together, he said."The whole spirit is about that it's different, diverse communities of the West Midlands and the UK celebrating a sporting culture," he Kabaddi team had seen Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and white players all come together with a chance to wear an England kit, Mr Singh said, adding: "That's huge." Those young people taking part were the role models of the future, he said."For us in this country, south Asians have very little chance to represent England at an international sport, whereas here we are - the majority of players are south Asian and every time they do a good tackle they kiss the badge."Just having a south Asian and diverse community wearing an England top or a Scotland top – that's the real story and that's the success." Mr Singh said it had been "wonderful" that authorities including Birmingham City Council, Walsall, Coventry and Wolverhampton had come together."We're so thankful for people who have been working with us, especially Wolverhampton council," he said."He added Wolverhampton's council had done "an amazing job", saying: "Everybody from the drivers, who drive the minibuses to bring the teams here, to the operational staff – we couldn't be happier with the help and guidance that we've got." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Sky News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Sky News
The Kabaddi World Cup is taking place in the West Midlands - and England's captain says they have a chance against big favourites India
England's kabaddi captain Hardeep Singh believes his team can reach the final of the sport's world cup and even compete with India, the red-hot favourites. Kabaddi, where seven-player teams earn points by crossing into their opponent's territory to tag them and return safely, all the while chanting "kabaddi", is the second most watched sport in India behind cricket and often pulls in TV audiences of more than 200 million. Unsurprisingly India has dominated every international tournament to date, and their men's team are unbackable favourites to extend that run. But Singh and his colleagues have home advantage, as this year's tournament is taking place in the West Midlands and he believes they have a chance of making history - and bringing new fans to the sport at the same time. Singh, who is from Wolverhampton, which, along with Birmingham, Coventry, and Walsall, is one of the venues for the first world cup held outside Asia, said his squad thinks "we can get to the final and give India a good game. "They [India] are seen as invincible because it's their national sport and they have so much heritage. But we will be ready to have that fight." "When I started playing kabaddi I never thought it would get this far, and hosting a World Cup in my home town makes it particularly special," he added. Some in the UK will remember the fast, intense, and often very loud sport from Trans World Sport, Channel Four's popular mid-1990s Saturday morning show. For anyone new to it, Singh says kabaddi is "crazy" and has "got everything". He sees the tournament as a huge opportunity, as he believes there's "so much potential for kabaddi in this country, provided there is enough support and funding at grass-roots level". England, who play in the British Kabaddi League, which was founded in 2022, thumped Hungary by a record-breaking 101-25 on the tournament's opening day. England's women's team also made a winning start in the initial round-robin phase on Tuesday, beating Hungary 85-15. Men's and women's teams from Scotland and Wales are also taking part. The rules of kabaddi Kabaddi is played by two teams of 12 players categorised by age and weight, with seven on the field of play [measuring 13m by 10m] at any one time. A coin is tossed, and the team that wins the toss decides whether to raid or which court [side of the playing area] to start in. No special equipment, clothing, or accessories are needed. Teams score one point for each opponent that they put out of the game. When attacking, it's when the raider touches opposition players, putting them out. When defending, it is done by preventing the raider returning to their own half. Bonus points are also available. To win a point when raiding, the raider must take a breath and run into the opposition's half while repeatedly yelling the word 'kabaddi'. If they stop or chant anything else, they will be declared out and the opponents will be awarded a point and take the next raid. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins. There are six officials looking after matches, which are played over four equal periods of 10 minutes, with rest periods after each. Each team is allowed to take a maximum of two 30-second time-outs per match. Raids last 30 seconds each, with a siren sounding after 20. All raids must start within five seconds of the previous one ending. Indeed, Scotland's men pulled off a major upset by holding India to a thrilling 64-64 draw on Tuesday. England women's captain Athira Sunil took up the sport at school in Kerala after changing from badminton and says players are coming to kabaddi from sports like rugby and wrestling, "so they already come with good speed and techniques". She said the future for the sport in this country "is very good". It's growing so quickly, that some are hoping it will one day appear in the Commonwealth Games or even the Olympics. Commonwealth Games Federation president Chris Jenkins said he was "blown away" after coming to Tuesday's second day in Wolverhampton, adding he was impressed by "the atmosphere and the chanting, and the match itself is really physical and very exciting". Plans are understood to have been made to showcase the sport within the truncated Games programme in Glasgow next year.
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
England eyeing India upset at Kabaddi World Cup
Kabaddi's fast-paced international expansion could be bad news for the sport's traditional powerhouse as England captain Hardeep Singh plots a sensational end to the 2025 World Cup in the West Midlands. Fans of a certain age may well recall a brief period in the mid-1990s when the breathless Indian sport was broadcast across the UK on Saturday mornings as part of Channel 4's popular Trans World Sport show. Kabaddi – which involves teams of players who earn points by crossing into their opponent's territory to tag them and return safely – is the second most watched sport in India behind cricket, regularly hauling in over 200 million TV viewers. Unsurprisingly India have dominated every international tournament to date, and their men's team, who hail from the fully professional Pro Kabaddi League, are unbackable favourites to extend that run in the first World Cup ever to be staged outside Asia. But having thumped Hungary by a record-breaking 101-25 on the tournament's opening day, Singh believes his England team – who play in the much more modest British Kabaddi League, which was inaugurated three years ago – can push India close. 'We think we can get to the final and give India a good game,' Singh told the PA news agency. 'They are seen as invincible because it's their national sport and they have so much heritage. But we will be ready to have that fight.' Singh, who is from Wolverhampton where he works as a medical sales rep, took up the sport four years ago after giving up a career in freestyle wrestling. 'When I started playing kabaddi I never thought it would get this far, and hosting a World Cup in my home town makes it particularly special,' he added. 'It's a crazy sport and it's got everything. There's so much potential for kabaddi in this country, provided there is enough support and funding at grass-roots level.' England's women's team made a winning start in the initial round-robin phase on Tuesday, beating Hungary 85-15. Men's and women's teams from Scotland and Wales are also taking part. England women's captain Athira Sunil took up the sport at school in Kerala after changing from badminton. Now living in Newcastle where she works in the medical profession, she frequently undertakes a seven-hour round trip to train with her team in Birmingham. 'The sport is gaining so much more interest across the world these days, and England are gaining players from sports like rugby and wrestling, so they already come with good speed and techniques,' said Sunil. 'I think the future for the sport in this country is very good.' There is already hope that kabaddi's expansion beyond its traditional strongholds in South Asia could result in kabaddi ultimately being included on the Commonwealth Games or even Olympic programme. Commonwealth Games Federation president Chris Jenkins was an enthusiastic spectator on the second day of the event in Wolverhampton on Tuesday, and plans are understood to have been made to showcase the sport within the truncated Games programme in Glasgow next year. Jenkins said: 'It's the first time I've been to a kabaddi event and it's blown me away. The atmosphere and the chanting, and the match itself is really physical and very exciting. 'Throughout the Commonwealth there are lots of traditional sports, but this one is huge in India and here too. It's been a really exciting event.'
