Sport and leisure
Mayor of Walsall welcomes Kabaddi World Cup to the borough
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On Friday 21 March, Mayor of Walsall Councillor Anthony Harris welcomed the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 to the borough, with the fifth day of the competition being held at Wolverhampton University’s Walsall campus.
The 2025 World Cup marked the first time that this prestigious sporting event has been held outside of Asia, and Walsall was proud to host the quarter and semi-finals on day five.
“ It was fantastic to welcome the prestigious Kabaddi World Cup to Walsall, and to see so many people from all around the world getting involved.
It’s great that along with our Partner Authorities of Wolverhampton, Coventry & Birmingham to be invited to be one of the hosts the Kabaddi World Cup 2025. It is a great honour to see Walsall being put on the International World Map as a place where sporting activities can take place & communities can come together to celebrate the sport “
Day five of the competition would determine which four men’s teams would make it through to the semi-finals, as well as deciding the nations lining up for the face off at the women’s finals over the weekend.
Two women’s semi-final games took place in the morning, seeing victories for India and England. In the men’s quarter finals, England, Scotland, Wales and India came out victorious, beating Hong Kong, the USA, Poland and Hungary.
“ It was great to witness this prestigious event here in the borough of Walsall and to see how it brought communities together.
From school children cheering the teams on and learning about a new sport, to Kabaddi athletes from around the world coming to spend time here in Walsall, hosting the 2025 World Cup has been a fantastic opportunity for the borough and the wider region and really puts the West Midlands on the map “
Outgoing World Kabaddi President Ashok Das, commented: “The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 has been an historic week for Kabaddi. The performances of all the teams, the passion of the fans in the great West Midlands venues and the millions who have followed the tournament around the world have proven that our sport is truly global.
“This tournament is a milestone — a sign of Kabaddi’s bright future. The passion we’ve seen is a testament to how far the sport has come, and a glimpse of what lies ahead. We look forward to building on this momentum and bringing Kabaddi to even greater heights on the world stage.”
The Kabaddi World Cup came to a close across the weekend with India coming out on top overall. The final match between India and England’s men’s teams served as a fitting finale to a tournament that has seen Kabaddi’s global appeal grow, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the next Kabaddi World Cup.
ENDS
All results from the Kabaddi World Cup can be found on the website
Click here for information on the Kabaddi World Cup
Information for editors:
The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 has received £500,000 of funding from the UK Government's Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund following a joint bid by City of Wolverhampton Council and World Kabaddi. This application was successfully approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority, marking the one-year anniversary of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The tournament is jointly hosted by four local councils: Birmingham City Council, City of Wolverhampton Council, Coventry City Council and Walsall Council and will bring international teams and fans to the region, boosting the local economy and celebrating cultural diversity.
About World Kabaddi
World Kabaddi is the International Federation for the sport of Kabaddi, bringing together five continental organisations for Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and Pan America and including more than 50 member National Federations. It organises the Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup, holding the inaugural edition in Malaysia in 2019 which had India as the first men’s and women’s champions. World Kabaddi has helped to expand one of the world’s most accessible sports, and is striving for International Olympic Committee recognition.
About the British Kabaddi League
The British Kabaddi League (BKL) is the UK’s premier professional league for Kabaddi, launched in 2022 by the English Kabaddi Association and Scottish Kabaddi Association. Originally starting from eight teams, it has since expanded and featured nine teams in the most recent edition in 2024, which was streamed live on BBC iPlayer. The BKL is a grassroots-up project, and local community clubs operate all franchises. Their finances are reinvested back into the local community.
