England will host the 2025 Men and Women Kabaddi World Cup. It has marked the tournament’s first edition outside Asia. The week-long event will take place in the West Midlands region in March this year. Sixteen teams, including Pakistan, India, and host nation England, will compete for the title.
Details Of The Kabaddi World Cup
The information revealed so far into the World Cup highlight that men’s competition will have sixteen teams in four groups. The women’s competition features two groups. Four venues—Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry, and Wolverhampton—will host matches from March 17 to 23.
Kabaddi-playing nations from Asia, Africa, America, and Europe will compete in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Both teams will be playing a total of over 60 matches.
Further Grouping Of The Teams
In the men’s competition, organizers have placed Pakistan in “Group D” alongside Taiwan, Italy, and Kenya. Host nation England competes in “Group A” with Malaysia, Poland, and Cameroon. “Group B” includes Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Scotland, and Egypt. Furthermore, former world champion India joins “Group C” with China, the USA, and Tanzania.
For the women’s competition, England, Hong Kong, Poland, and Tanzania compete in “Group A,” while India, Egypt, Scotland, and Kenya make up “Group B.” An opening ceremony will also take place on the 17th March.
Finalized Dates Of The Kabaddi World Cup
Pakistan will play a tournament against Kenya on March 18. The teams will then travel to Coventry on March 19 for the second round of group-stage matches. Pakistan will face Italy at Coventry Arena. The following day, Birmingham’s Nechells Wellbeing Centre will host the remaining group stage matches for the men’s competition.
On March 21, the University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall campus will host the final women’s group stage matches. Additionally, this will be followed by the men’s quarter-finals. The tournament will then move back to Wolverhampton for the men’s and women’s semi-finals on March 22. Moreover, Wolverhampton will also host the third-place matches and the finals for both men’s and women’s teams on March 23.
Funding For The Matches
The UK Government’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund has provided £500,000 in funding for the Kabaddi World Cup 2025. The funding got finalized after a successful joint bid by City of Wolverhampton Council and World Kabaddi.
The funding will extend the positive and lasting impact of the Commonwealth Games across the region. This will further enhance access to sport and culture, and strengthen the West Midlands’ reputation for major events.
In The End
With top teams from around the world set to compete, the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 promises to be a landmark event. It will be showcasing the sport on a global stage beyond Asia for the first time. Backed by significant government funding, the event will leave a lasting legacy. Furthermore, promoting sports and culture will inspire future generations of kabaddi players worldwide.