THE KABADDI World Cup 2025 began with dominant wins for defending champions India and hosts England. India defeated Italy 64-22 in Group B, while England secured a 101-25 victory over Hungary in Group A on the opening day in Wolverhampton.
The tournament kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony featuring live dhol performances by students aged 9–19 from Wolverhampton Music Service, a dynamic professional Bollywood dance troupe, and a grand athlete procession led by youth representatives from Wolverhampton Wrestling Club.
Scotland also secured a win in Group B, defeating Wales 63-43 to take second place behind India. In other matches, the USA defeated Hungary 87-35 in the men’s competition, while in the women’s event, Hong Kong China won 73-20 against Hungary, and Poland lost 44-58 to Wales.
India’s next match is scheduled against Scotland on Tuesday.
England dominated their opening match, forcing multiple timeouts from Hungary. England captain 'Harry' Hardeep Singh said, “The only team I’d say we’re worried about is India. But I think we have got a good chance,” according to The Sun.
England secured a 101-25 victory over Hungary in Group A.
ST Arasu, General Secretary of World Kabaddi, commented on the opening day, saying: “Naturally, India started strong today and are the favourites to win. However, it was really encouraging to see the European teams looking technically far stronger than in previous international tournaments as the sport develops in each country. England and Scotland are both looking on good form and, whilst defeating India might be a challenge too far, I think they will be exciting to watch over the next few matches – fast-paced, strategic, and technical."
The Kabaddi World Cup 2025, organised by World Kabaddi, is being held in England across four cities—Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
The men’s tournament features 10 teams divided into two groups. Group A includes Hungary, England, Poland, Germany, and the USA, while Group B consists of India, Italy, Scotland, Wales, and Hong Kong. The top four teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, starting on 21 March.
The women’s competition includes six teams split into two groups. Group D features India, Wales, and Poland, while Group E includes Hong Kong, Hungary, and England. The Indian women’s team will play their first match against Wales on Tuesday. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
India won both the men’s and women’s titles at the inaugural Kabaddi World Cup in 2019, held in Malaysia.
Sunder Katwala