Voyage of Ashok Das: The 'Kabaddi Daddy' who took the sport beyond India 

Forming EKA, 2004 Kabaddi World Cup and British Army Kabaddi Team

England Kabaddi Association (EKA)

During the first ever 2004 Kabaddi World Cup held in Mumbai, 14 teams all around the world competed in the event. Arun Sawant asked Ashok Das to bring his team. The England Kabaddi Men's Team knew about circle Kabaddi back then. Ashok decided to train his Englishmen and formed them as a collective unit to play in the standard style of World Cup.

Great Britain had a successful outing then. They beat teams like Malaysia (60-37) and Korea (54-49) to enter the quarterfinals. They lost the quarterfinals against Canada (66-28) but won the hearts of many Kabaddi lovers.

The 1st Kabaddi World Cup which was played on a Basketball court surprisingly.

The British Army, newly introduced to Kabaddi displayed an eagerness to understand the culture and ethnicity of the game. Kabaddi, afterall, wasn't just a game of big bulky hulk like raiders who dragged the defenders to the midline after all. Over the years, Kabaddi changed into its modern version which required mental strength alongside with agility and fast reflexes.

The Army's head invited Ashok one day and asked him to train his students. Ashok on his own expenses covered the distance of around 180 plus kilometers and coached them to form the British Army Kabaddi Team.