2013 saw the 4th edition of the Kabbadi world cup being held in Punjab, India. This edition of the mega event saw India being crowned as champions for the 4th consecutive time. Kabaddi may seem to be a very rural sport but then an interesting fact is that this rural sport, played predominantly in Punjab, has an annual budget of INR 200 Crore.
The sport traditionally played in villages of Punjab, has now crossed borders not only to Canada or UK where there is a huge Punjabi community but also to far away countries in Africa like Kenya and Sierra Leone. The great enthusiasm has not only brought greater competition but also greater investment and thus the reason for such huge amounts of money involved in the game. Kabaddi is a part of Punjab’s culture and the people of Punjab have a great connect with the game. This affinity was used by the Punjab state government to conduct Kabaddi world cup in Punjab every year since 2010. Now as the dynamics and economics of the game are showing progressive signs it is high time the Government of India, government of Punjab and all the various investors from the country and abroad take Kabaddi to a more global level.