Eyes on host city for Kabaddi World Cup

A kabaddi coach said it was a huge achievement for Wolverhampton to host the sport's world championship in 2025.

This year will be the first time the Kabaddi World Cup has been held outside of Asia.

Aldersley Leisure Centre will stage the event's quarter-finals while The Halls Wolverhampton will host the semi-finals and final.

Walsall Hunters coach Ranjit Singh said the games would mean millions of people across the world watching how the event unfolds in Wolverhampton.

"It's a massive event so to bring it to the Midlands, it's a huge achievement," he added.

The contact sport, which originated in India 5,000 years ago, is now played in dozens of countries.

The tournament will take place in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Birmingham and Coventry, from 17-23 March.

The event is set to feature men's and women's teams from across the world including India, Iran and Pakistan.

Kabaddi was a demonstration sport at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, and is a staple of the Asian Games, as well as being the fastest-growing sport in South Asia.

It involves teams broken down into raiders and blockers. The aim is for raiders to score points by entering opposition territory, tagging an opponent and making it back to their own half without being tackled to the ground.

"It's quite tactical, it's very explosive, it's athletic and it's fun as well," Mr Singh added.

"It's got all the ingredients needed to have a great game."

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