India hosts its second global sporting event this year with 2016 Kabaddi World Cup

Jalandhar, September 14, 2016 - Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Mr.JS Gehlot, President, International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) formally unveiled the logo of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup at a press conference in New Delhi today. Joining them on the dais were Mr.Charu Sharma, eminent sports expert and Mr.Anup Kumar, Indian Kabaddi player. The Indian national team will compete with 11 other countries which includes USA, UK, Australia, Iran, Poland, Thailand, Bangladesh, South Korea, Japan, Argentina and Kenya. 2016 Kabaddi World Cup will be the biggest Kabaddi extravaganza with representation from all five Olympic geographies. All its matches will be held in Ahmedabad at the brand new state-of-the-art stadium, The Arena by TransStadia.

2016 Kabaddi World Cup will kick off on October 7 and will be structured in such a way that the 12 international teams from across Olympic geographies will be divided into 2 pools of 6 teams each. The teams will play in a fortnight long tournament in a round robin league round format, followed by semi-finals and an exciting final on Oct 22, 2016.

Commenting on the occasion, Shri Vijay Goel said, “India is making significant strides towards utilizing its potential in becoming a global sporting powerhouse. We had 2016 T20 Cricket World Cup in March and organised successfully South Asian Games in Feb 2016. We are holding BRICS Football in October 2016 & FIFA under- 17 in 2017. And now, 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, yet another sporting event of an international stature and scale. It is the perfect time to highlight the giant leaps that Kabaddi has taken over the past few years to propel the sport on the path of global recognition.”

“I am extremely happy to see Kabaddi going global across Olympic geographies through the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup”, he added

Shri Vijay Goel unveiled the logo for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. Deriving from the natural heritage of Gujarat, The Asiatic Lion, the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup logo symbolizes the ferocity of a Kabaddi defender and the agility of a raider. The lion has been a symbol of bravery for thousands of years, appearing in cultures across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The lion in the logo pays homage to the Asiatic lions of Gir region in Gujarat, the host of this grand event.

The roar of the raider ‘kabaddi kabaddi’ is a signal of its impending attack on the opposite team. The colourful mane of the Lion, with 7 strands, is symbolic that teams/athletes from all Parts of the World will play Kabaddi. All the 5 Olympic geographies of the world will come together to participate and witness the grandeur of this incredible sporting event, 2016 Kabaddi World Cup at Ahmedabad…‘The World is Ready to Raid.’

Mr. Janardan Singh Gehlot, President, International Kabaddi Federation said “Every successful global sport has a marquee international event. With 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, the International Kabaddi Federation aims to establish a global property for our home-grown Kabaddi. This is the most opportune moment for Kabaddi to gain much deserved recognition and appreciation at the global stage”

He further added, “Indian Kabaddi players made their name in domestic league but winning a World Cup is the ultimate dream of a sportsperson. 2016 Kabaddi World Cup will be a platform where every player and every country is giving their best to prove their mettle. The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup will provide our players an opportunity to not only display their talent to the entire world but also take the sport itself to heights it hasn’t experienced before."

Ticket sales for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup also kick-started today and are available on bookmyshow.com.

Star Sports will be the official broadcaster of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. All matches will be telecast exclusively on the Star Sports network and Hotstar.