Kabaddi World Cup kicks off in Wolverhampton

The first Kabaddi World Cup to be staged outside Asia is under way in Wolverhampton. Events will be held in venues across the region and they are expected to attract a global audience of around 500 million, organisers said.The first match between England and Hungary men's teams was held at WV Active in Aldersley.The final is on 23 March with games played in Walsall, Birmingham and Coventry
Prem Singh, chief executive officer of the British Kabaddi League, said it was stressful but enjoyable."For us to bring the Kabaddi World Cup to the West Midlands and Wolverhampton - it was very ambitious in the first place," he said."The majority for the funding for kabaddi comes from the Indian market and we've managed to do the Kabaddi World Cup here with not a penny from overseas money and everything is done locally and nationally in the UK so that to us is a huge triumph."He said the tournament will be broadcast to nine television channels around the world including in India, Malaysia, the US and Africa.The ancient sport dates back more than 4,000 years and involves players earning points by crossing into their opponent's territory and returning safely.Thousands of fans are expected to travel from overseas and it kicks off a "momentous month of sport" in the West Midlands with the region hosting three major international tournaments in March.Mr Singh said the sport appealed to many people. "We don't have that much participation in rugby and football but kabaddi is the support you're going to have - South Asian players in the England team which are going to represent England which doesn't happen that often," he said. "I can tell you they're all very proud to be wearing the England kabaddi shirt and representing."He said he thought the England versus Scotland meeting further on in the tournament would be a good match because of the "natural rivalry"."Our origins might be South Asian but when England line up against Scotland there's always going to be fireworks and I think it's going to happen."We hope the referees are strong enough to control the emotions."People who know the sport will see the technical skills and ability, he said. "For someone who is not used to it it will be like, watching a well-organised British Bulldog match in the playground," he added."At the end of the day it's going across a line, touching someone and getting back without being tackled, pulled to the ground, so if you can do that then that's successful."
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

18 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

THE MOUSE WHO ROARED! McLauchlan shone from Tarbolton to Dunedin... and back again

There was an added sense of poignancy that news of Ian 'Mighty Mouse' McLauchlan's sad passing should arrive just as the latest batch of British and Irish Lions were jetting off on this summer's adventure to Australia. McLauchlan, who died on Friday aged 83, was considered one of the toughest and feistiest players to ever pull on a Scotland jersey, something he did 43 times between 1969 and 1979. It was his performances for the Lions, however, that elevated the Ayrshire-born prop's reputation and brought him to wider recognition, something he did with distinction over two tours of duty. The first came in 1971 when a group that included Welsh great JPR Williams and Irish icon Willie John McBride won two games out of four and drew the final one to secure what remains the Lions' only series victory in New Zealand. McLauchlan played a pivotal role in the first Test in Dunedin, charging down an attempted All Blacks clearance to score the only try of the game. Perhaps surprisingly for a player who scored frequently in the club game, it also turned out to be the only Test try of his career. McLauchlan was back in the fold three years later when the touring party, now captained by McBride, won 21 of the 22 matches they played in South Africa and drew the last one to earn the nickname 'The Invincibles'. It was a physically bruising, often violent tour but the Lions proved too strong for their Springbok hosts as they clinched the Test series by three matches to one. McLauchlan was again pivotal, playing in every Test match just as he had done in New Zealand, making him one of just five players to be ever-present across the two victorious series. International rugby had come late to the man from the Ayrshire village of Tarbolton, not a renowned stronghold for the sport. When he made his Scotland debut a month short of his 27th birthday in an 8-3 Five Nations loss to England at Twickenham in March 1969, he became the first former pupil of Ayr Academy and ex-Jordanhill College student to be capped for his country. 'Much of that day is a haze but I remember sitting in the changing room at 2.50pm,' he wrote in his autobiography, Mighty Mouse. ''Open the doors', I thought. 'Let me get out there and at them'. I had waited all my life for that moment.' McLauchlan wasn't big for a loosehead at under 15 stone and just 5ft8 tall but what he lacked in physical stature he made up for with tenacity and determination, in the scrum especially where he would regularly give his tighthead opponent a difficult afternoon. His club performances for Jordanhill and West of Scotland brought him belatedly to the attention of the Scotland selectors — six years after his first trial — starting a decade-long period of international recognition where he'd go on to establish himself in the team before becoming captain in 1973. He would lead his country 19 times, an achievement that stood as a record until it was later surpassed by David Sole. On one of those occasions, another Calcutta Cup clash with the Auld Enemy, he captained the team despite having broken a bone in his leg against Ireland just a fortnight earlier. Although he came from a corner of the country where football, racing pigeons and whippets were the favoured pastimes, McLauchlan would become a rugby obsessive. 'I was hooked straight away,' he admitted. 'I loved the physicality, the brutality and the camaraderie of it. Before long, the game had become the be-all and end-all of my life. 'I never wanted to give up. I played every minute I could play. I used to go down to Wales mid-week and play. I'd go to Ireland at the weekends and play on the Sunday. At that time Scottish Rugby had a ban on Sunday rugby but it didn't seem to matter too much in Ireland. It was quite good. You'd play in Glasgow and get the six o'clock plane to Dublin and come back on the Sunday night.' The 1970s were not a hugely memorable period for Scottish rugby overall, with the unlikely five-way tie in 1973 the only championship Scotland celebrated throughout the decade. The feeling was, though, that it could have been even worse had McLauchlan not done his best to lift the level through both word and deed until his international retirement in 1979, again with another Test match against the All Blacks, this time at Murrayfield. He worked as a PE teacher at Broughton High School in Edinburgh, launched his own marketing firm and even had a brief spell in journalism but rugby remained in the blood, making it little surprise that he would continue to contribute to the sport later in life. He served as president of Scottish Rugby from 2010 to 2012 and remained on the board until 2019. 'I've always been involved in rugby in one way or another,' he said at the time. 'I suppose it kind of appealed to my sense of humour, the thought of being on the board. 'It's like everything else. I just wanted to do something to help rugby. It's a plain, simple fact: if you don't do anything, you don't get much from it — but if you try to do something you get a great deal of self-satisfaction and reward comes from effort.' McLauchlan would fill other rugby roles, too, chairing the British and Irish Lions Trust, becoming a director of European Professional Club Rugby, chair of the Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation and a director of the Hearts & Balls rugby charity. In 2013 he was inducted into Scottish Rugby's Hall of Fame and four years later received an OBE for services to rugby. Later in life he moved from the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh to settle on Islay where his wife Eileen, who died in 2023, hailed from. News of McLauchlan's sad passing prompted tributes from all across the rugby world, including from former team-mate — and another Lions and Scotland legend — Andy Irvine. 'He was some character and some player,' said Irvine. 'He was smaller than most props he came up against but I never saw anyone get the better of him. He was so tough, almost indestructible. What a fantastic career he had for Scotland and the Lions. It's very, very sad.' The sad news broke just as Lions head coach Andy Farrell and his players were boarding the plane to Australia ahead of their Test series against the Wallabies. They paid tribute to one of their own: 'Our thoughts are with the friends and family of former Scotland captain and Lions great Ian McLauchlan.'

Telegraph

32 minutes ago

• Telegraph

Tip-toeing assassin Jasprit Bumrah finds fast-bowling perfection

As Jasprit Bumrah strode on to the Headingley turf, the crowd was pregnant with expectation. It was not merely that play was about to resume, with England beginning their innings – but that the ball would be thrust into the hands of one of the most remarkable bowlers in Test match history. The clouds circling Leeds lent Bumrah's preparation an especially ominous quality. With his slingshot action, pace and array of variations, Bumrah does not need conditions to be in his favour to be lethal. But the moisture on the Headingley pitch, the grey conditions overhead and the floodlights amplified the challenge facing England's batsmen. Bumrah's first two warm-ups were in vain: drizzle delayed his first bowl in a first-class game for almost six months. Bumrah's appearances will be rationed this summer which only makes the sight of him standing at the top of his mark, poised to unleash hell, more tantalising. Zak Crawley was tasked with facing Bumrah from 22 yards. Perhaps Crawley hoped that, 168 days since he last bowled in a first-class match, Bumrah would need a few overs to relocate his best. If Crawley entertained this delusion, Bumrah's first delivery – which straightened on an immaculate line just outside off stump – showed otherwise. Now Bumrah circled on to off stump, returning to his spot with the menace of a debt collector door-knocking. His third ball squared up Crawley, and narrowly evaded his edge. His fourth delivery kissed the edge but bounced in front of the slips, earning four scarcely-deserved runs. Crawley then blocked the fifth ball securely enough. From the last ball of his opening over, Bumrah seemed to have mislaid his immaculate line, instead spearing the ball towards leg stump. But as Crawley shaped to play the ball through the on side, the ball leapt up, like a leopard out of a bush, and swung away to claim the edge: fast-bowling perfection, a fusion of swing, seam, bounce and 90mph pace. Jasprit Bumrah has arrived. — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2025 For Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, the challenge in the rest of Bumrah's spell was to do what Crawley had failed to do, and survive. This almost proved too much for Duckett from his first ball against Bumrah, which he poked just short of gully. Three balls later, Bumrah changed his line of attack and unfurled a yorker which struck Duckett's boot. But India's review showed that the ball hit Duckett fractionally outside the line of leg stump. When Duckett is batting with either Crawley or Pope, England have a left and right-handed pair against the new ball, forcing bowlers to adjust their lines. Yet this is rather less advantageous against Bumrah. Indeed, one of the many wonders of Bumrah is his equal potency bowling to left and right-handers alike: absurdly, he averages under 20 against both. Whoever faced Bumrah bowled in his opening spell at Leeds, the sense of foreboding remained. In his third over, Bumrah treated Pope to a near-replica of his dismissal of Crawley, which again seemed to defy geometry as it moved in the air and off the pitch. This time, the batsman's edge bisected third slip and gully and secured an undeserved four runs. The over ended with another edge from Pope, this time bouncing just in front of gully and again going for four. Bumrah's wry grimace spoke of his ill-fortune. When he returned for his fourth over, Shubman Gill vowed that Bumrah should not again suffer the injustice of an edge through the vacant slips going for four. As such, he fortified the slip cordon – which now comprised four slips and a gully. Duckett knew what awaited him: a series of deliveries angled across him, each moving wickedly and testing his famous reticence to leave the ball alone. This time, the edge did land in a fielder's hands, when Duckett slashed the ball to backward point; yet Ravindra Jadeja, one of the world's greatest fielders, shelled a relatively routine chance. When Duckett survived the next over, Bumrah's first spell ended with a haul of 1-21 from five overs: figures can seldom have been more deceptive. By the time Bumrah returned, an over before tea, the afternoon gloom had given way to glorious sunshine. Yet his threat was undimmed. Duckett, already fortuitous against Bumrah earlier, almost edged another venomous delivery, which pitched on the leg stump then curved past his groping edge. Finally, in the fourth over of his spell, Bumrah cramped up Duckett and elicited an inside edge, which crashed into his stumps. Bumrah celebrated with an undemonstrative smile, exuding the air of a man who was not surprised. Then again, nor should Bumrah have been: no one else in Test history, after all, has taken more than 200 wickets at under 20 apiece. This record is even more remarkable as he disproportionately rests against weaker sides. 🎙️ "You need a breakthrough, you go to Bumrah and he delivers." Ben Duckett departs for 62 ❌ — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2025 Moving the ball both ways from his exaggerated angle wide of the crease, Bumrah plotted his moves ahead, like Ronnie O'Sullivan constructing a century break. Joe Root was perilously close to edging behind. Pope, who was once the victim of one of Bumrah's most outlandish yorkers, drove at a ball that left him, edging to third slip. This time, Yashasvi Jaiswal spilled the chance. Bumrah covered his face in his Indian cap in his despair. As he trudged back to fine leg, Rishabh Pant ran towards the bowler to console him, apologising for his teammate's failure to match Bumrah's excellence. In the last throes of the day, Gill returned – inevitably – to Bumrah. From his second ball, Pope got an inside edge and scrambled a single to bring up his century; perhaps Bumrah's luck had not changed. But next ball, Root was deceived by a delivery that straightened rather than moved in, and poked the ball to slip: his tenth dismissal to Bumrah in Test cricket. GOT HIM! Jasprit Bumrah gets the BIG wicket of Joe Root ⚡️ — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2025 Harry Brook has never previously had the misfortune of facing Bumrah before. In an over and a half at the close, Brook learned just how hazardous batting against Bumrah is. Deliveries by turn nipped in and away; there was a surprise slower ball too. Then, Bumrah showed off his bouncer, cramping up Brook and watching as Mohammed Siraj rushed back from mid on to complete a fine catch. Bumrah raised his arms aloft in elation. Then, he heard the umpire's sickening call: he had overstepped, for the third time in the over, winning Brook a reprieve. A brutal bouncer to end the day, which Brook narrowly ducked inside the line of, emphasised the challenge that awaits England on day three and beyond. England's fear for the rest of the series will be that Bumrah will be just as good but less unlucky. Their only comfort will be that, unlike Australia last winter, they will not have to face Bumrah in all five Tests.

The Guardian

38 minutes ago

• The Guardian

Pope century lifts England after bowlers claw control away from India

A day on from that much-debated decision to bowl first by Ben Stokes and the clouds had started to lift for England. The hosts were still some way from flipping the advantage they had handed India but by stumps, after an earlier fightback with the ball, Ollie Pope's unbeaten 100 had established something akin to a foothold in the contest. Pope came into this Test with questions being asked about his spot at No 3; questions that centred around a poor record against India and Australia and not quelled by that 171 against Zimbabwe. Jacob Bethell, flavour of the month in New Zealand late last year, was breathing down his neck, even if potential, rather than back catalogue, was the driver. And yet as England closed on 209 for three in reply to India's 471 all out – a total derailed by a collapse of seven for 41 – Stokes was grateful to his vice-captain for holding firm in the face of a typically electric display by Jasprit Bumrah. It would be wrong to roll out Graham Gooch's old line about Richard Hadlee – 'World XI at one end, Ilford 2nds at the other' – but when Bumrah was on, the smell of wickets hung in the clammy air. India's remarkable slingshot could easily have had more than his three for 48 from 13 overs, not least the edge that Yashasvi Jaiswal had earlier grassed at slip when Pope was on 60. His day underlined where the crux of this series likely sits but ended with those broad shoulders slunk. Harry Brook, on nought simply tasked with seeing out the final over, was caught playing a wild hook, only for a front-foot no-ball to be called. The Yorkshire faithful could have been forgiven for grumbling about there being 'more brains in a pork pie' – a charge that at least could not be laid at Pope. His one life aside, England's No 3 had been largely equal to his unique challenge of Bumrah and the spikiness of Mohammed Siraj. Emerging after the loss of Zak Crawley sixth ball, and looking in touch from the outset, Pope sent 13 fours cruising along this fast outfield. Pope looked a bit like a local at times, picking up runs behind square as they tend to do in these parts and sealing his ninth Test century before the close. The celebration was one of pent up frustration being released. But he also needed partners, Ben Duckett making a typically punchy 62 in a stand of 122 runs and Joe Root adding 28 in an alliance worth of 80. Both had early reprieves – Duckett dropped on 15, Root overturning an lbw on seven – and both were ultimately Bumrah'd in the end. It was never going to be straightforward, with India's collapse either side of lunch as welcome for England as it was potentially ominous. The clouds had rolled over Headingley to see the Dukes ball start hooping and only made way in the evening. For Josh Tongue this was simply manna from heaven, day one figures of none for 75 from 16 transformed into four for 86 from 20 courtesy of a rapid demolition of the tail. As Stokes joked in his celebrations, Tongue was devouring some rabbit pie here. Although the spark was Shoaib Bashir getting the breakthrough that his performance 24 hours earlier had deserved when Shubman Gill looked to take down the off-spinner on 147 and skewed the ball to deep backward square. Gill and Pant had put on 209 for the fourth wicket, the latter turning his overnight 65 into three figures and celebrating with a superb somersault. Going by the ovation, the locals thought was flippin' marvellous. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Pant sure is an entertainer, his eventual 134 from 178 balls packed with more fun than a day at Disney. And yet for all the tumbling scoops and range hitting into the Western Terrace – 12 fours and six sixes – it was stitched together with watchful defence. This, as much as the mischief, is why only three wicketkeepers – Adam Gilchrist (17), Andy Flower (12) and Les Ames (8) – have scored more than his seven Test centuries. But with an end opened up by Gill's removal at 430 for four, the previously listless England suddenly surged and India's total became the lowest in Test history to contain three centuries. Among the three ducks that made it so was poor Karun Nair, who had spent eight years waiting for a Test recall and chipped his fourth delivery from Stokes to a flying Pope at short cover. It really can be a cruel sport at times. Tongue knows it all too well, of course, the fast bowler back this summer after an 18-month battle with injuries. Reward for this perseverance came with the eventual removal of Pant, a switch to around the wicket messing up the left-hander's calibrations and leading to an odd-looking lbw offering no shot. Jamie Smith, who had earlier missed a stumping off Pant when he was on 124, could also breathe a sigh of relief here. This was possibly surpassed by those from Duckett and Crawley after Tongue gobbled up his rabbit pie and 40 minutes of rain then intervened. Not that conditions improved much after the restart, Bumrah steaming in under lights, squaring up Crawley in his first over, and seeing an edge fly into the cordon. But on this sticky second day Indian hands lost some of their adhesiveness and Pope managed to wriggle England free.