The vast majority of punters prefer to place bets on the most popular sports. Usually, it’s the ones that appear on TV. However, there are dozens types of sports that date back to ancient times. While there are people who still play them, there is not enough interest to justify their inclusion into the betting lists.
That was until now. One such sport – Kabaddi – is about to emerge out of obscurity. The best Indian Bookmakers are seriously considering including it in their options.
Kabaddi: the Game
To put it in as simple terms as possible, Kabaddi is a combination of capturing the flag, tag, and plain ol’ rugby. The rulebook is actually quite complicated. The gist of it is that 2 teams, consisting of 7 players each, try to score as many points as possible. Players earn points by touching as many opponents and returning home, when they are attacking. When they are in the defensive position, they have to stop the enemy «raiders». The peculiarity comes with the rule that demands that each «raid» must be conducted in a single breath. Simultaneously, the «raider» must re-iterate the word «kabaddi» during the entire time that his «raid» lasts!
The countries where the sport has the greater appeal are India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. At this time, it is the second most popular sport in India after cricket! With the rise in popularity came the need for better structure. Through the inauguration of the International Kabaddi Federation and the organization of World Cups, the sport is growing quickly. In fact, there already have been three Kabaddi World Cups, and you are hearing it here first!
Spreading like wildfire
Not only have the three aforementioned teams participated in these competitions. The sport has spread to Thailand, Iran, South Korea, Nepal, Japan, and Indonesia. The surprise comes with the participation of nations no one would expect. For example, Kenya, Sri Lanka, or even Canada participated.
And it doesn’t stop there. England, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia are new names in the Kabaddi world. Even Poland, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Germany have embraced the sport. National teams are training relentlessly to participate in the next tournament.
It is quite possible that one of the best agent for Asian and European bookmakers have already included the sport in their lists for the punters to place their wagers. If kabaddi keeps gaining in popularity at the rhythm and pace it does now, it is only a matter of time before it is featured in the available event catalogs of every major betting establishment. Especially since at the next World Cup to be hosted at West Midlands in 2025, there will be 16 teams participating. And that’s a number that cannot be ignored any longer. Even more so, since it will be televised by at least 10 major TV Networks like Fox Sports, Sky Sports, and ESPN.
