World Kabaddi League
The World Kabaddi League (WKL) is a professional Circle style Kabaddi League in India, United States, Canada, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. It is the first worldwide circle style kabaddi league.
| Sport | Kabaddi |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Inaugural season | 2014 |
| President | Sukhbir Singh Badal |
| Commissioner | Pargat Singh |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |  India  United States .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada  United Kingdom  Pakistan |
| TV partner(s) | Sony SIX (India) PTC Punjabi (International) |
| Sponsor(s) | Li Ning (company) |
| Official website | www |
League organization
There will be 8 international teams that will play in 14 cities throughout 4 different countries. The World Kabaddi League will feature 144 international players with over ₹15 crore in players' salaries. The regular season will be four months long then an elimination tournament will take place in Mohali, Punjab, India for the top four teams to determine a champion. This is the first season World Kabaddi League, 2014 World Kabaddi League.
Teams
| Club Name | Country | Host City | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khalsa Warriors | India |
London Heathrow, England, United Kingdom | Akshay Kumar [1] |
| Yo Yo Tigers | India |
Toronto, Canada | Honey Singh [2] |
| Vancouver Lions | Canada |
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada | Gurjit Singh Purewal |
| Punjab Thunder | India |
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | Thind Properties and Rajat Bedi |
| Lahore Lions | Pakistan |
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan | Government of Punjab, Pakistan |
| United Singhs | United Kingdom |
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | Sonakshi Sinha [3] |
| California Eagles | United States |
Stockton, California, United States | Tut Group |
| Royal Kings | United States |
Sacramento, California, United States | Thiara Company |
Schedule
| WKL Kabaddi Matches[4][5] | Date 2014 | Vancouver Time(PST) | Indian Standard Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Eagles Vs. Royal Kings USA & Khalsa Warrios Vs. Yo Yo Tigers | August 9, 2014 | 4:30 am | 5:00 pm |
| Vancouver Lions Vs. Lahore Lions & United Singhs Vs. Punjab Thunder | August 10, 2014 | 4:30 am | 5:00 pm |
| Royal Kings USA Vs. Lahore Badshahs & Vancouver Lions Vs. Yo Yo Tigers | August 16, 2014 | 6:00 am | 6:30 pm |
| California Eagles Vs. Punjab Thunder & Khalsa Warrios Vs. United Singh | August 17, 2014 | 6:00 am | 6:30 pm |
| California Eagles Vs. Punjab Thunder & Khalsa Warrios Vs. United Singhs | August 23, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
| California Eagles Vs. United Singhs & Lahore Badshahs Vs. Punjab Thunder | August 24, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
| Royal Kings USA Vs. Yo Yo Tigers & Khalsa Warrios Vs. Vancouver Lions | August 30, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
| Khalsa Warrios Vs. Lahore Badshahs & Punjab Thunder Vs. Royal Kings USA | August 31, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
Playing technique (style)
The game goes thus*: Two teams of seven players face each other in a circle and take turns sending a "raider" into the other team. To win a point, the raider must take a breath, run into the opposing half, tag one member of the opposite team, then return to his home . The raider will have 30 seconds only for touch the opponents and come back to his home. The game is played with 20-minute halves and a five-minute half-time break during which the teams exchange sides
Venues
The following are venues of World Kabaddi League.[6]
| City | Country | Venue | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | Canada |
Abbotsford Arena | |
| Amritsar | India |
GNDU Hockey Stadium | |
| Birmingham | United Kingdom |
LG Arena | |
| Bathinda | India |
Bhatinda Hockey Stadium | |
| Delhi | India |
Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium | |
| London | United Kingdom |
The O2 Arena [7] | |
| Lahore | Pakistan |
Punjab Stadium | |
| Jalandhar | India |
Burlton Park Hockey Stadium | |
| Ludhiana | India |
Hockey Ground, Punjab Agricultural University | |
| Mohali | India |
International Hockey Stadium | |
| New York City | United States |
Nassau Coliseum | |
| Sacramento | United States |
Sleep Train Arena | |
| Stockton | United States |
SMG Stockton Arena | |
| Hamilton | Canada |
FirstOntario Centre | |
| Vancouver | Canada |
WAVE Group Title Sponsor for World Kabaddi League 2014
Sonalika International Official Partner for World Kabaddi League 2014
Li Ning (company) signed on to be the Leagues clothing partner.
Television broadcasters
Sony SIX has signed on to broadcast the league in India. PTC Punjabi has signed on to broadcast the league around the world.
| Nation/Territory | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| India |
Sony SIX |
| United States of America |
PTC Punjabi |
| United Kingdom |
PTC Punjabi |
| Canada |
PTC Punjabi |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
PTC Punjabi |
| Pakistan |
Geo Super |
References
- "Akshay Kumar lends glamour to kabaddi buys a team". India Today. Living Media.
- "Rapper Honey Singh buys team in World Kabbadi League". The Times of India. The Times Group.
- "Sonakshi Sinha co-owns team in World Kabaddi League". The Indian Express. Indian Express Limited.
- "World Kabaddi League 2014 Dates Venue & Start Timings".
- "World Kabaddi League 2014 Schedule".
- VENUE LIST (World Kabaddi League)
- "Take A Deep Breath World Kabaddi League Comes To London". The Londonist.