Defending champion and host India would be hoping to add an eighth consecutive title to its kitty when it kicks off its campaign at the Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 7 against a strong Korean side.
With 12 teams divided into two pools participating in a league-cum-knockout format, India would be hoping to begin on a winning note, aware that the gap against other teams, specially the Asian opponents, has been reducing steadily. Players from Korea and Iran, in particular, have been impressive during the Pro Kabaddi League and the Indians would be aware of their prowess.
However, the much-anticipated clash against Iran would come only in the knockouts in case both teams progresses. India had managed to edge past Iran by a single point at the 2014 Asian Games. However, Pakistan, a runner-up for the past three editions, would not be participating this time around.
Unveiling the logo and the schedule for the event here on Wednesday, International Kabaddi Federation president Janardhan Singh Gehlot expressed hope that with kabaddi already making its presence felt at the Asian Games, the sport would soon become a globally-followed one across continents.
The fortnight-long tournament would see the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semifinals on October 21 with the final to be played a day later.
Pool A: India, South Korea, Australia, England, Bangladesh, Argentina; Pool B: Thailand, Poland, Iran, Kenya, Japan, USA.
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