Pakistan to take part in Iran kabaddi event

Training camp for Asian championship begins next month.

KARACHI: Pakistan will send 12 players to take part in the first Asian Kabaddi Championship that takes place from September 22 in Tabriz, Iran.

The event will see 132 players participate from 11 countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, South Korea and hosts Iran.

According to the Pakistan Kabbadi Federation (PKF) Secretary Muhammad Sarwar, the training camp for the 12 players will begin in Islamabad from September 6. The PKF, which had to withdraw from an event in Canada due to visa issues earlier this month, reconsidered its decision to take part in the event after refusing to do so earlier.

“We agreed for this championship because the event is in Iran,” Sarwar told The Express Tribune. “Our athletes had prepared for the Canada event so they are ready right now. The Asian Championship will be played in our traditional circle style where players will go one-on-one against each other.”

Sarwar, who is also the secretary for the Asian Kabaddi Federation, has said there were discussions being held to include the sport in the 2014 Asian Games that take place in South Korea.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th,  2011.