India Beat England to Retain Kabaddi World Cup Title
India Edge England in Nail-Biting Men’s Final
The 2025 Kabaddi World Cup will go down in the history books, as it was the first time the competition had been held outside of Asia, with venues in Wolverhampton, Coventry, Birmingham and Walsall hosting the almost 50-match tournament.
The India men’s team were drawn into Group B, which featured Scotland, Wales, Hong Kong and Italy, and emerged as group winners with a score difference of 149, edging Scotland (118 SD to the top spot).
The defending champs went unbeaten during the group stage, but it was far from straightforward, as they were given a genuine scare by the Scots, who held them to a 64-64 draw in the second round of matches on March 17.
In the final, India faced England, and they seemed to be cruising to victory with a 10-point lead at the halftime break, but the host nation refused to throw in the towel and mounted an incredible comeback in the second period.
England raider Shreyas Annadate got the side three crucial points early in the second half with a masterful raid before a massive defensive effort from Mandeep Singh brought the team within four points less than a minute later.
However, Manthiram Arumugam’s side was not for the catching and stayed firm in defence over the final five minutes to beat the tournament hosts 44-41 to lift the trophy. Team India will now return to their homeland where players will begin preparations for the Pro Kabaddi Season 11 which gets underway in September.
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India Women Romp To Title Defence over England
If there was anything to take from the men’s final of the Kabaddi World Cup 2025, it was that other nations, particularly the likes of England and Scotland, are well on their way to closing the gap to India in terms of competitiveness at the top level of the sport.
However, in complete contrast, the women’s competition showed that the Indian team was still head and shoulders above the rest, as they cruised to the top spot in Group D with a whopping 217-point lead over second-placed Wales.
India women finished the group stage with a 160 score difference. The next closest team England only managed a score difference of 76!
The group stage set the scene for what many expected to be a one-sided final between Team India and Team England, and the defending champions did not disappoint, dominating the English women 57-34 - a victory that wasn’t even close.
Despite the margin of defeat, the England women deserved plenty of credit for their performances earlier in the competition, which painted a bright future for the sport in the UK. Following the final, England vice-captain Sally Hill said:
"I think for Team England women, we're going to keep pushing forwards. We've got lots of other tournaments that we're already looking at and want to be part of and it's just to keep building from here and get that experience as well."
Kabaddi fans will now turn their attention to the Beach National Kabaddi Championship for men and women, which will play out in Tamilnadu before March 27 and 29. Don’t forget to check out the best online betting sites for Kabaddi right here on SportyTrader!
