India wins the Kabaddi World Cup 2025!
On Sunday, India won the men’s and women’s finals of the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 by beating England. It was the first time the tournament was held outside Asia.
The World Cup took place from 17th to 23rd March in various places across England. There were 50 matches and all were shown on nine TV channels in countries like India, Malaysia, Africa, and the US.
The event was organised by the England Kabaddi Association and the British Kabaddi League. It was held under the World Kabaddi Federation (WFK). The first such World Cup was hosted by Malaysia in 2019.
But, the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) said this World Cup was "unauthorised." They also asked for action against the Indian team that played in it.
Why is the World Cup 'unauthorised'?
The IKF is the official international body for kabaddi. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) recognises it.
The OCA, IKF, and the Asian Kabaddi Federation (AKF) control kabaddi at the Asian Games and other events.
The IKF said the Indian team did not get permission from the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) before playing in it.
They also said the teams in this World Cup were not the same teams that played in the Asian Games.
What is Kabaddi?
Kabaddi is a sport from ancient India. The word "Kabaddi" comes from a Tamil word that means "hand catch."
The game has two teams. Each team has seven players. The game lasts for 40 minutes. One player, called the "raider," goes to the other team’s side. The raider tries to touch as many players as possible and return safely. The raider must say "Kabaddi" without stopping to breathe.
The game has two halves of 20 minutes with a 5-minute break. The team sending the raider is the "Raiding Team." The other team is the "Defending Team." One raider plays against seven defenders, so it is also called the game of struggle.
