University hosts Kabaddi World Cup draw

The draw for next year’s Kabaddi World Cup was held at the University of Wolverhampton with 16 countries set to compete at the tournament.  

Held at The Chancellor’s Hall on 5 December, the University welcomed local authorities and members from World Kabaddi, England and British Kabaddi to watch the draw for the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup.  

The West Midlands will be hosting the sport’s leading global tournament, between 17 March – 23 March, with some fixtures to take place at the University’s Walsall Campus. 

Next year’s tournament is the first time the competition will be hosted outside of Asia. The region will welcome the world’s best Kabaddi players from men’s and women’s teams from across the five member continents of World Kabaddi, including Africa, Asia, Oceania, Pan America and Europe.  

The contact sport sees teams broken down into raiders and blockers, with the aim of scoring points by entering opposition territory, tagging an opponent and making it back into their own half without being tackled to the ground. 

Professor Prashant Pillai, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University, said: “We’re extremely pleased to be the exclusive Higher Education partner for the Kabaddi World Cup especially given our heritage in India and South Asia where the University has extensive links and is strategically growing its network with institutions and communities.  

“We have recently signed MoU’s with over 10 Universities in India and are looking at joint taught programmes, twinning programmes, immersion/summer school and joint research.  

“The University were very specific in choosing to partner with World and British Kabaddi given the positive impact and opportunities that kabaddi can bring to communities, particularly around inclusion and creating a sense of belonging to our campus and cities, while also showcasing the power of sport on a national and international scale.  

This is further evidenced through our School of Sport which produces impactful sports research which is recognised on a global scale. The School of Sport is blessed with world leading sports facilities, expert staff and provides opportunities for students to undertake industry level placements alongside their studies – which will be the case for the World Cup in 2025 as our sports students will be assisting in the delivery of the event taking place at our Walsall Campus.  

“We hope to harness the power of Kabaddi to showcase the outstanding sporting offer here at Wolverhampton that is open to anyone across the world to come and study with us, gain a degree and industry experience that will prepare them for future sporting employment.”  

Prem Singh, Chief Executive of the British Kabaddi League, added: “We’re thrilled that the Kabaddi World Cup will be hosted in the vibrant West Midlands. This is not only a significant milestone for the sport but also a tremendous opportunity for the region.  

“The tournament is expected to attract global attention, bringing economic benefits and tourism to the area. More importantly, it provides a platform to celebrate and champion kabaddi, a sport deeply rooted in South Asian culture and widely played across its communities.” 

To register your interest in purchasing tickets for next year’s Kabaddi World Cup, visit Home - Kabaddi World Cup 2025.  

Anyone interested in studying for courses at the School of Sport at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days.