Two PKL stars might face serious consequences for playing in an unofficial Kabaddi World Cup.
The International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) has issued a statement declaring the ongoing Kabaddi tournament in London as unauthorized. Meanwhile, the World Kabaddi Federation, a separate governing body, has announced that the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will take place in Birmingham, England, from March 17 to March 23. The event will be hosted by the England Kabaddi Association and the British Kabaddi League.
Fans were surprised to see the tournament listed as a seven-day event on the official website, featuring teams like India and Pakistan with a total of 60 matches. Reports suggest that former PKL players Amit Hooda and Rakesh Narwal were part of the Indian squad in the competition.
The official organization in charge of kabaddi has stated that the Kabaddi World Cup held in the UK was not officially approved. The Olympic Council of Asia and the Asia Kabaddi Federation are responsible for recognizing world governing bodies for various sports. For kabaddi, the official governing body is the International Kabaddi Federation.
These three associations oversee Kabaddi in the Asian Games for both men and women. They have clearly denied any involvement with the unauthorized organization. They also emphasized that each country has its own National Sports Federation for Kabaddi, which is affiliated with IKF and AKF.
The statement highlighted that none of these national federations are participating in the Birmingham tournament. The IKF has contacted all national federations, including the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), about the event, and AKFI has confirmed that they will not take part in the tournament.
The international organization has asked the Indian body to take steps to prevent such incidents in the future. They have also called for legal action against the players involved. Players like Amit Hooda and Rakesh Narwal could face legal consequences. The AKFI aims to maintain a good relationship with the IKF, especially after being suspended last year for not having an elected body. Taking action against these events will help improve the integrity of the sport.
