The World Kabaddi League (WKL) was a professional circle-style Kabaddi league in India, United States, Canada, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. It was the first worldwide circle style kabaddi league.
| Sport | Kabaddi |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| First season | 2014 |
| President | Sukhbir Singh Badal |
| Commissioner | Pargat Singh |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |  India  United States  Canada  United Kingdom  Pakistan |
| TV partner(s) | Sony SIX (India) PTC Punjabi (International) |
| Sponsor(s) | Li Ning (company) |
| Official website | www |
History
The league's first season was in 2014; 8 international teams played in 14 cities in 4 different countries. Three of the teams had celebrity owners.[2] The regular season was four months long, and was followed by an elimination tournament that took place in Mohali, Punjab, India, in which the top four teams determined a champion.
The league attempted a comeback in 2016, but had numerous budgetary problems.[2] After a reorganization, the league rebranded itself as the Global Kabaddi League and launched the new version in 2018.[2][3] The only team to return for the third season was the California Eagles.[2] This version of the league lasted until the final match on November 3, 2018.[4]
Teams
| Club Name | Country | Host City | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khalsa Warriors | India | London Heathrow, England, United Kingdom | Akshay Kumar[5] |
| Yo Yo Tigers | India | Toronto, Canada | Honey Singh[6] |
| Vancouver Lions | Canada | Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada | Gurjit Singh Purewal |
| Punjab Thunder | India | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | Thind Properties and Rajat Bedi |
| Lahore Lions | Pakistan | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan | Government of Punjab, Pakistan |
| United Singhs | United Kingdom | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | Sonakshi Sinha[7] |
| California Eagles | United States | Stockton, California, United States | Tut Group |
| Royal Kings | United States | Sacramento, California, United States | Thiara Company |
Schedule
| WKL Kabaddi Matches[8][9] | Date 2014 | Vancouver Time(PST) | Indian Standard Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Eagles Vs. Royal Kings USA & Khalsa Warrios Vs. Yo Yo Tigers | August 9, 2014 | 4:30 am | 5:00 pm |
| Vancouver Lions Vs. Lahore Lions & United Singhs Vs. Punjab Thunder | August 10, 2014 | 4:30 am | 5:00 pm |
| Royal Kings USA Vs. Lahore Badshahs & Vancouver Lions Vs. Yo Yo Tigers | August 16, 2014 | 6:00 am | 6:30 pm |
| California Eagles Vs. Punjab Thunder & Khalsa Warrios Vs. United Singh | August 17, 2014 | 6:00 am | 6:30 pm |
| California Eagles Vs. Punjab Thunder & Khalsa Warrios Vs. United Singhs | August 23, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
| California Eagles Vs. United Singhs & Lahore Badshahs Vs. Punjab Thunder | August 24, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
| Royal Kings USA Vs. Yo Yo Tigers & Khalsa Warrios Vs. Vancouver Lions | August 30, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
| Khalsa Warrios Vs. Lahore Badshahs & Punjab Thunder Vs. Royal Kings USA | August 31, 2014 | 6:30 am | 7:00 pm |
Playing technique
Two teams of seven players face each other in a circle and take turns sending a "raider" into the other team. To win a point, the raider must take a breath, run into the opposing half, tag one member of the opposite team, then return to his home. The raider will have only 30 seconds to touch the opponents and come back to his home. The game is played with 20-minute halves and a five-minute half-time break during which teams exchange sides.
Venues
The venues of the World Kabaddi League spanned four countries.[10]
| City | Country | Venue | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | Canada | Abbotsford Arena | |
| Amritsar | India | GNDU Hockey Stadium | |
| Birmingham | United Kingdom | LG Arena | |
| Bathinda | India | Bhatinda Hockey Stadium | |
| Delhi | India | Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium | |
| London | United Kingdom | The O2 Arena[11] | |
| Lahore | Pakistan | Punjab Stadium | |
| Jalandhar | India | Burlton Park Hockey Stadium | |
| Ludhiana | India | Hockey Ground, Punjab Agricultural University | |
| Mohali | India | International Hockey Stadium | |
| New York City | United States | Nassau Coliseum | |
| Sacramento | United States | Sleep Train Arena | |
| Stockton | United States | SMG Stockton Arena | |
| Hamilton | Canada | FirstOntario Centre | |
| Vancouver | Canada |
WAVE Group Title Sponsor for World Kabaddi League 2014
Sonalika International Official Partner for World Kabaddi League 2014
Li Ning (company) signed on to be the Leagues clothing partner.
Television broadcasters
Sony SIX has signed on to broadcast the league in India. PTC Punjabi has signed on to broadcast the league around the world.
| Nation/Territory | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| India | Sony SIX |
| United States of America | PTC Punjabi |
| United Kingdom | PTC Punjabi |
| Canada | PTC Punjabi |
 Australia | PTC Punjabi |
| Pakistan | Geo Super |