Coventry is set to host the Kabaddi World Cup 2025. The event will be held at the Coventry Building Society Arena from March 17 to 23, 2025. The 100-day countdown has begun, and 16 participating nations are ready to compete. The tournament will welcome the world's best kabaddi players, including those from Africa, Oceania, Pan America, Asia, and Europe. Teams from the USA, China, India, and Pakistan, as well as home-nation teams from England and Scotland, will compete in the World Cup, which will be hosted for the first time outside of Asia.
Kabaddi is an ancient sport, traced back to pre-historic times when men learned how to defend in groups against animals or attack weaker animals individually or in groups for survival and food. Kabaddi was played as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and is now the fastest-growing sport in South Asia.
The contact sport involved teams divided into raiders and blockers. The aim was to score points by entering opposition territory, tagging an opponent, and making it back into their own half without being tackled to the ground.
Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, Cllr Kamran Caan, said: "I’m thrilled that Coventry will play host city for the Kabaddi World Cup in 2025. It’s yet another international sporting event to add to our ever-growing list. Bringing kabaddi to Coventry means we can take the sport to communities, increase physical activity even more, and highlight the sport’s culture, which is really special.”
The 16 nations taking part in the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 are: Asia: India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, China; Europe: England, Scotland, Italy, Poland; Africa: Tanzania, Kenya, Cameroon, Egypt; Pan America: USA.
President of World Kabaddi, Ashok Das, added: "We have been working closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority and partners over the last two years to plan the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 and are excited to be now drawing the teams for the competition.
