"I have watched videos of some special moves like the Lion Jump and the Dubki"- Australia's Joshua Kennedy excited to play kabaddi with PKL stars

Former Australian Football League player Joshua Kennedy will make his kabaddi debut next month when Pro Kabaddi League stars head to Melbourne. The Australian city will play host to an exhibition kabaddi event right after the third day of the Boxing Day Test match between India and Australia on December 28.

Some of the top players of Pro Kabaddi League will board a flight to Australia next month and participate in the exhibition matches. The organizers have planned an exhibition contest between PKL stars and former AFL players, including Joshua Kennedy.

The main event of the evening will be an all-stars kabaddi match featuring PKL superstars. Kennedy is currently in India, learning kabaddi by watching the sport live at the stadium and interacting with the players. Sportskeeda caught up with Kennedy for an exclusive chat. Here are the excerpts.

Excerpts from Sportskeeda's interview with Joshua Kennedy:

Q. How excited are you to be a part of the exhibition kabaddi match in Australia?

Joshua Kennedy: Very excited. It's going to be an amazing day. It will be after Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test. I'm incredibly excited to be a part of it. I'm excited to see the reaction of the Victorian fans. It is such an exciting game. I think they will love it.

Q. Have you learned any kabaddi skills for the upcoming exhibition match?

Joshua Kennedy: I have watched videos of some special moves like the Lion Jump and the Dubki. I know how they are, but whether or not, I can perform them is a big question. I'll be working on it in the next month and half. It should be a lot of fun to prepare and it will be great fun playing on the mat.

Q. How has been your experience of watching PKL matches at the stadium?

Joshua Kennedy: It's super intense. The energy is electric. Obviously, the game itself is electric too, so everything about it is fast and high-octane. The fans get behind it too. I think there should be a lot of highlights that fans will be watching in Melbourne this December. It should be a lot of fun.

Q. How has been your experience in India so far?

Joshua Kennedy: I couldn't speak more highly of my experience over the last three days. People have been incredibly friendly. The hospitality has been fantastic. I have been able to try all the foods, and we did a tour of the city, which was great. And of course, I immersed myself in Pro Kabaddi League over the last two days, met a few kabaddi players.

Q. Who has become one of your favorite kabaddi players already?

Joshua Kennedy: I've got a few. The ones that caught my eye last night was the Showstopper Shadloui, you know Mohammadreza Shadloui. He was fantastic, incredible defensive efforts. In the opponent team, there was a player Vishal. He was great. He was very, very impressive.

The main man of Jaipur Pink Panthers, Arjun has been performing consistently. The other night, I got a chance to exchange jerseys with him, so I've got his jersey, yeah.

Q. Do you think kabaddi players can excel in other sports because of their skills?

Joshua Kennedy: Absolutely. To have the balance, agility, power, space awareness that these players have, it gives you an amazing foundation for any other sport. Whether it is Aussie rules rugby, basketball, you've got that sort of power that can translate into other sports.

Q. Do you think kabaddi will pick up well in Australia as a sport?

Joshua Kennedy: I think so. It is quick, fast action. It is entertaining. There's a lot of highlights. Anyone can play it. It's obviously an indigenous sport here in India, but all around the world, people play it in some form or other. It has got a nostalgic feel to it. It is also a simple game to understand. I think Australians will love it.

Q. With Australia hosting 2032 Olympics, do you think there's a chance of kabaddi being included there?

Joshua Kennedy: We've got an exhibition game now. I think that's the plan. We are hosting the 2032 Olympics, and India are hosting the one after that. So, who knows where this sport can go.