Ahead of a World Cup next year, a group of enthusiasts from various backgrounds came together to establish England as an emerging nation in Kabaddi.
Organised by the breakaway World Kabaddi Federation (WKF), the tournament in England will not feature national teams associated with its rival governing body, the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF).
However, for many of the dozens of kabaddi players in England, it is still an opportunity. These international players find the time to play the sport between their day jobs and other obligations, with little money and recognition on offer.
To pursue their passion abroad, Li, a tech manager in a startup, and accountant Yuvraj Pandeya, quit their jobs altogether. They were signed by Dabang Delhi in Pro Kabaddi (PKL), the premier league in the sport
The PKL league launched by Mashal Sports in 2014, said it had 226 million viewers during the first 90 matches of its 2023-24 regular season. "Felix is doing a daily vlog where he's basically sending all the skills that we've learned back to the people in the UK," Pandeya told Reuters. "The problem with kabaddi in the UK is that we don't have the coaches with the know-how," England player Tom Dawtrey said.
