‘UK hosting the World Cup will inspire women to join kabaddi’

ENGLAND women’s kabaddi skipper Athira Sunil spoke of her pride and responsibility to lead her team as the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup kicked off in the Midlands on Monday (17).

The second edition of the tournament, the first being held outside Asia, is taking place at venues across Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.

In the women’s competition, six teams are split into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals on Friday (21). The finals will be played on Sunday (23).

Sunil’s journey in kabaddi began in India, where she played from a young age and competed in the National Championship at 13. Though she initially pursued badminton, her physical education instructor encouraged her to switch to kabaddi.

“When I went, I felt like, yeah, this is good. Then I started competing,” she told Eastern Eye in an interview.

After moving to the UK, Sunil joined the British Kabaddi League, which she describes as a turning point. She has played in the league for five years and led Nottingham Cairns to victory in 2024.

Athira Sunil (England women's capt), councillor Bhupinder Gakhal,, Hardeep Singh (England men's capt) at official England kit launch.www.easterneye.biz

“It was a historic event last year, we were the British Kabaddi League champions. I was captain for that team,” she said. “It was the first time in the history of the British Kabaddi League that we got the gold medal.”

England’s squad has faced logistical challenges in preparing for the World Cup. Players are based across the UK, making regular training difficult.

Sunil, who lives in Newcastle, travels around seven hours to Birmingham for practice. “Even though a lot of sacrifices are there, this is a culmination of hard work, training, and sacrifices that my team and I have made,” she said.

The squad is coached by Narendra Singh, from India, whom Sunil describes as experienced. “It’s going pretty well, it’s quite nice because we have got an experienced coach,” she said.

The playing style in England differs from traditional kabaddi, with a stronger influence from rugby and wrestling.

“It adds more spice to the game,” Sunil said. “The tackles are much more similar as they come under contact sports. So, it’s like a unique blend of strength and strategy.

“Every player is contributing towards the team’s success.”

Kabaddi’s profile in the UK has grown with the British Kabaddi League, and Sunil believes that the World Cup will further boost its popularity.

“This tournament will bring international attention to kabaddi players, and also lots of women will get inspired,” she said.

Training sessions have included outreach efforts, inviting local school students to watch. “They will be like, yeah, it’s like a British bulldog game,” she added.

England faces strong competition from teams such as Hong Kong and Hungary, who Sunil’s team plays on Tuesday (18) as Eastern Eye went to press. They have been closely observing their opponents’ moves.

“Their tactics are a bit different from how we are preparing,” she said.“So, every game has different challenges, right?”

The growth of leagues has helped revive kabaddi by providing more opportunities to compete. Sunil believes this exposure will push players to train harder.

“When we play different tournaments and leagues, we will get more popular, and will train hard to achieve more,” she said. “We always feel like we’re moving forward.”

Televised matches are also playing a role in increasing visibility.

“It will be broadcast and it is still on BBC,” Sunil said. “So, they can see our movements and they will get more inspired to do more.”

She is confident about the future of kabaddi in England, saying she sees growing interest in the sport and expects more players to join. “I can see a lot of improvements in the players. Most probably, many players will get inspired and join England Kabaddi.” The England squad consists of players from diverse backgrounds. While most are British, there are also players of Asian heritage. “Even though they are from different nationalities, they are settled in the UK right now,” Sunil said.

As the tournament begins, Sunil and her team are determined to make history at the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup.

The seven-day tournament features nearly 50 matches. It is organised by World Kabaddi, hosted by the England Kabaddi Association, and delivered by the British Kabaddi League.

Matches will be streamed on the BBC iPlayer, the Olympic Channel, DD Sports in India, and Willow TV in the US.