Draw Conducted for First Kabaddi World Cup Hosted Outside Asia

The sport of kabaddi, followed by hundreds of millions of enthusiastic fans across Asia, will hold its World Cup in the West Midlands this March. The draw for the tournament has now occurred, as England prepares to be the inaugural nation outside of Asia to host the world championship for kabaddi, a sport with millions of adherents. Scheduled for the West Midlands, the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 has revealed the initial round opponents for the English and Scottish men’s and women’s teams. The draw, conducted in Wolverhampton on Thursday, marked the 100-day countdown until the contact sport’s tournament commences. Kabaddi is played by teams comprising raiders and blockers. Raiders aim to earn points by entering the opposing side’s territory, tagging an opponent, and returning to their own half without being tackled. The competition is slated to run from 17-23 March across Wolverhampton, Walsall, Birmingham, and Coventry. The sport was featured as a demonstration event at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, is a regular fixture at the Asian Games, and is recognized as the most rapidly expanding sport in South Asia. World Kabaddi president Ashok Das stated, “Kabaddi has a rich heritage and the power to bring nations and communities together to enjoy the game, socialise and unite as a team.” He added, “The West Midlands is a region that celebrates its cultural diversity and is centrally located in the UK, allowing ease of access to the competition. I expect it will be a brilliant tournament.” In the 16-team men’s tournament, England’s team has been drawn alongside Malaysia, Poland, and Cameroon, while Scotland’s team will compete against Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Egypt. For the women’s competition, the Scottish squad will encounter world champions India, Egypt, and Kenya, and the English squad will compete against Hong Kong, Poland, and Tanzania. This event marks only the second occasion that both men’s and women’s teams will participate, following the inaugural combined tournament in Malaysia in 2019, where India emerged victorious in both categories. With hundreds of millions of television viewers in Asia expected to tune in, Sally Hill, a probable player for England, expressed her hope that hosting a global event would elevate kabaddi’s recognition. Hill, who previously participated in rugby and wrestling before taking up kabaddi, stated, “The World Cup will bring a lot of awareness to the sport in England.” She continued, “It’s very prominent in certain countries, but not so much here. It will be great for the city of Wolverhampton, which is now my home town. We’ve got a pretty good draw.” Sukhinder Dhillon, a former Scotland international who manages the Glasgow Unicorns team and the recently crowned British champions, Edinburgh Eagles, will assume coaching responsibilities for the Scotland men’s team. Dhillon remarked, “I’ve got a very strong team ready to perform. We need to show people where Scotland stand on the international stage. Some of the teams coming are amazing. Our aim is to get out of the group. Anything beyond that is a bonus.” The arrival of the World Cup in the UK follows three years after the establishment of the British Kabaddi League. Over the last three years, the British Kabaddi League has been conducted throughout Scotland and England. Das, based in Birmingham, has been instrumental in the increasing popularity of kabaddi both within the UK and internationally, with World Kabaddi now encompassing over 50 member nations. He commented, “It is a dream come true to see the Kabaddi World Cup come to the West Midlands. I hope new audiences discover the excitement of kabaddi, but on a personal level it’s a way for me to give something back to my community here. I know how much people with South Asian family origins will appreciate seeing part of their culture being brought to the world stage.” The West Midlands Combined Authority, operating through its official investment, promotion, and destination management entity, the West Midlands Growth Company, will provide support for the event to guarantee its influence extends throughout the region and the wider UK. The men’s draw is as follows: Group A includes England, Malaysia, Poland, and Cameroon. Group B comprises Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Scotland, and Egypt. Group C features India, China, USA, and Tanzania. Group D consists of Pakistan, Taiwan, Italy, and Kenya. The women’s draw is: Group A contains England, Hong Kong, Poland, and Tanzania. Group B includes India, Egypt, Scotland, and Kenya.