With the aim of promoting kabaddi on a global level, the first-ever Global Women’s Kabaddi League is scheduled to take place in September 2024.
The League, known as the Global Pravasi Women’s Kabaddi League (GPKL), will bring together women athletes from over 15 nations in a first-of-its-kind tournament. This event marks a significant step towards promoting kabaddi on the international stage, furthering the goal of including kabaddi in the Olympic Games, and supporting India’s bid to host the landmark event in 2036.
The League is organized by the Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association (HIPSA) in collaboration with World Kabaddi. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between HIPSA and the Government of Haryana. The League is set to launch in Haryana, focusing on promoting and developing women’s kabaddi globally.
The Global Pravasi Women’s Kabaddi League will feature teams from over 15 countries. Athletes from diverse backgrounds, including nations like England, Poland, Argentina, Canada, and Italy, have expressed interest in participating in the League.
Regarding the growing popularity of the sport and the upcoming League, HIPSA President Kanthi D. Suresh stated in a press release by GPKL, “This has been long overdue, and now with the Government of India’s steely resolve to bid for hosting the Olympics, excluding our indigenous sport would be heartbreaking!”
Kabaddi is one of the oldest sports, with roots in the Indian subcontinent dating back to time immemorial. It was included as a full sport in the Asian Games in 1990, with the women’s event introduced in 2010. The upcoming League aims not only to celebrate this rich heritage but also to inspire a new generation of women to take up the sport.
Former Indian Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has also voiced his support for Kabaddi’s inclusion in the Olympics. As India sets its sights on hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, the inclusion of Kabaddi in the Olympics would be the icing on the cake.
“The allotment of hosting rights for the Olympics is determined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through a detailed host selection process available in the public domain.
The IOC has a dedicated body, the Future Host Commission (FHC), which deals with this subject. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), as the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for India, has initiated dialogue with the FHC,” Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha in July 2024.
“Inclusion of any sport discipline in the Olympic Games is decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Among other things, the IOC has prescribed that a sport discipline must be governed by an International Federation that adheres to the rules of the Olympic Charter, and it must be widely practiced across the world and meet various criteria,” he added.
The Global Pravasi Women’s Kabaddi League represents the first step towards realizing the country’s ambitions, including the aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics and to have Kabaddi included as an official Olympic sport. The schedule for the Global Pravasi Women’s Kabaddi League (GPKL) will be revealed in due course.