 2nd
WORLD CUP KABADDI IN NEW PANVEL - 24 - 26 Jan 2007
The indigenous game of kabaddi which had gone global with
the launching of the first World Cup Kabaddi Tournament
2004 will soon have its second edition at Karnala Sports
Academy Panvel from 24th to 26th Jan 2007. The last edition
was contested by a dozen teams and this time the championship
would see sixteen nations vying for the title with host
and last time defending champions India being considered
the favourites. India have so far been at the top in this
sport by virtue of their winning five gold medals in consecutive
asian games since 1990. Their supremacy will be challenged
by next door neighbours Pakistan and to some extent Japan
and Iran. In the absence of Pakistan it was Iran who had
contested the finals in Mumbai. The new entrants to World
Kabaddi are Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and
Australia. Pakistan though a known power in Kabaddi are
set to make their debut on the world stage.
The tournament has a total prize money of around seven
lakh rupees with the winners taking a purse of 2.5 lakh
rupees. The runners up will be richer by 1.5 lakhs while
the loosing semifinalists will take home fifty thousand
rupees each. There is an award of rupees fifty thousand
for the Player of the Tournament in addition to rupees
five thousand each to the best player in each match. The
championships will be played on a league -cum- knockout
basis with them being divided into four groups.
Canada and Germany who had contested last time are listed
as standbyes for this edition. Italy have shown interest
in kabaddi and have decided to send a team to the championships.The
tournament will be hosted by the Karnala Sports Academy
under the dynamic leadership of their President
Vivek Patil, MLA under the aegies of Raigad District
Kabaddi Association. The Indian Olympic Association have
given the green signal for the conduct of this championships
to the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and secretary
journal Raja Randhir Singh have pledged full support for
this event and have also promised to be present on one
of the days. The national federation and its state unit
from Maharashtra would provide the technical support to
the organisers. Union Minister for Agriculture and Food
and the President of BCCI Hon. Sharad Pawar is the chief
patron and Ajit Dada Pawar ( Hon. Minister - Irrigation
Water Resources and President of Maharashtra Kabbadi Association)
Janardan Singh Gehlot (President AKFI , AAKF, IKF) are
patron. |
