Indian Kabaddi WC-winning players to receive Rs. 10 lakh each

India bounced back from a shock defeat in their opening game against Korea before defeating Iran 38-29 in the final, a match where Iran were leading 18-13 at the break, to lift their third World Cup in a row. Captain Anup Kumar feels that an increase in competition for the top prize is good for the sport. He said, “We lost to Korea in the first game, we were trailing against Iran in the final. There is a lot of competition but it is only good for the sport. If more countries do not play the game, how can we expect it to be taken seriously for Olympics? We need more and more teams to play the sport to raise its profile,” reported the Hindu.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel, who was present at the felicitation ceremony, has assured that all the members of the squad will be awarded and that the government will push for the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics.

“All players and the coach will be awarded. We will also strive to get the game included in Olympics,” Goel said.

Ajay Thakur, who was the Man of The Tournament, has stressed on the importance of Pro Kabaddi League(PKL) where they get to learn a lot about the foreign players.

“When you spend so much time with and against each other you are bound to learn the weak points of other players, know their strengths and their secrets. They come here and learn.

“But we have the advantage of having played kabaddi for centuries. I have myself been playing for 10 years now. That is our strength. But it is getting close constantly,” Thakur said.