Kabaddi: Women’s Kabaddi World Cup To Be Held In Rajgir in June
Kabaddi World Cup Returns to Bihar
Kabaddi has grown in popularity rapidly over recent years, and a record crowd is expected to file into the State Sports Academy in June to witness one of India’s oldest sports, while the tournament will also be beamed to millions across the globe.
This will mark the second time that the state of Bihar will host the prestigious tournament, having also done so in the inaugural edition of the competition at the Patliputra Sports Complex back in 2012.
Organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup will feature 14 teams spanning four continents, including teams from Africa and South America.
The nations that have confirmed their participation in this year’s Kabaddi World Cup include:
- India
- Iran
- Nepal
- Bangladesh
- Thailand
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Hungary
- Japan
- Germany
- Argentina
- Uganda
- Kenya
India will enter the tournament as the overwhelming favourites and defending champions, having won the title against Iran in the last edition by a scoreline of 25-19, while Thailand and Japan earned joint third-place.
The India Women’s Kabaddi team have dominated the sport since it made its first appearance on the international stage, with their most recent triumph coming at the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship, which was held in Tehran last month. Team India defeated Iran 32-25.
Preparations Underway for 2025 Kabaddi World Cup
India team captain and vice captain Sonali Vishnu and Pushpa Rana were seen in attendance at the signing ceremony of the competition, which was made official by Jitendra Thakur and Ravindran Shankaran in Patna last weekend.
Speaking at the ceremony, the secretary general of the AKFI, Shankaran, said:
“It is a matter of great joy and pride for Bihar to host the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Rajgir. Due to the government’s commitment to developing sports, Bihar is gaining the honour of hosting several national and international competitions.”
To help Team India prepare to defend their world title, the AKFI has been tasked with organising a training camp which will span 15 days for the squad ahead of the tournament, allowing the team to acclimate themselves before the opening match.
Fixtures and groups for the tournament will be announced in May, while all the best online betting sites will present odds for the competition before commencement on June 1.
