The world's first kabaddi league attracts criticism even before it starts

Kabaddi’s plan to create a professional set-up for the sport is attracting the wrong kind of attention, even before the play actually starts.

The final trials for the world’s first kabaddi league – the World Kabaddi League (WKL) – were held in Ludhiana’s Guru Nanak Sports Stadium on Saturday without any medical facilities available. There was no doctor, ambulance, medics or even first aid kits at the disposal of the players.

To compound the players’ misery, those who have been selected to take part in the upcoming event had to shell out Rs 30,000 for dope tests after they were called at 11 am to the venue and made to wait till 4 pm.

Although the amount is refundable if the players clear the test, the whole affair did not go down well with the players who complained about the huge amount they had to give out from their pocket instantly.

Around 316 players has been selected for the event out of which only 273 showed up, and they severely criticized the unprofessional act committed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“I have no idea when the money will be refunded and I have to pay from my own pocket,” said Sarabjeet Singh, a kabaddi player from Natt village.

“In Canada, UK and US, where kabaddi clubs conduct tournaments, the refundable dope test fee is Rs 20,000; in India, it should be lesser but is instead on the higher side,” said Gurmukh Singh of Jalandhar’s Mallanwal Brahmin village.

The WKL authorities are aiming to shortlist around 200-odd players both from India and other countries, and then dividing those players into 10 teams. The league will start at London on August 1, and throughout the season matches will be played on the weekends in the UK, Canada, USA, France, Belgium, Pakistan and India.