5 states where kabaddi is played the most
India’s domination in the indigenous contact sport of kabaddi has been unmatched. When players from the country take on the mat in any international competition, they are sure to send shivers down their opponents’ spines.
Belligerent in raid and resolute in defence - the players are worshipped all over the globe for their exceptional flair. Indian men’s’ six World Cup kabaddi titles, as well as the seven Asian Games gold medals, speak for it.
How does India remain such a brute force in this sport? Perhaps, it is not so surprising if one makes a closer inspection at the different states that have been tirelessly supporting the sport, ensuring a constant influx of skilled players.
Here are five Indian states where kabaddi is played the most.
#1 Haryana
With Sonepat being the hotbed of kabaddi in India, it is only fair that the state of Haryana has a team of their own in the fifth edition of the PKL. Most of the revered kabaddi exponents, including the many Narwals of PKL and the iconic Anup Kumar, have hailed from or honed their skills in Sonepat and the craze for the sport in this Haryanvi town is unparalleled, to say the least.
It is one of those rare states where cricket takes a backseat and kabaddi is given all the importance. If India has been dominating the Kabaddi World Cups and the Asian Games, then it has a lot to do with this very small town where the sport is played religiously for 25 years and even has a SAI centre to nurture more talent.
Haryana is the sport’s bastion and constantly churns out talent every year. Not only that, they have made every effort to popularise the game all over the world through their Kabaddi Haryana Youtube channel that never fails to provide live coverage.
For the first four seasons, Haryana natives had to show their allegiance to some other state. This time, the kabaddi-crazy people have their own team to root for, something they truly deserve.