WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — With acrobatics, skill and guise, raiders chanting “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi” have been trying to elude defenders at the first Kabaddi World Cup to be held outside of Asia this week.
Men’s and women’s teams from nine countries have been taking part in the tournament in central England, where the finals were to take place on Sunday.
Click to Gallery
England players celebrate beating Hong Kong in a quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Hungary's Daniel Levay lunges at his Indian opponent during their quarterfinal match of the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Officials gesture as Scotland face the USA during a quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup, in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Zsombor Farcas of the Hungary, second right, runs the risk of being surrounded as he raids into the India half during the quarterfinals of the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A team talk takes place between members of the India women's team during their semifinal match against Hong Kong at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England players face a lone Wales raider during their semifinal at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A member of the Scotland coaching team speaks to his players during their quarterfinal match against the USA at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A member of the USA team is interviewed after their quarterfinal match against Scotland at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Hong Kong's Kowk King Yip, second right, conducts a raid into England territory during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
An image of the detail on an England shirt at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Scotland players, in black shorts, face the USA during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Spectators look on as Scotland face the USA during a quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Scotland players link hands during their quarterfinal match against the USA at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Shreyas Annadate, center, attempts to score with a kick during a raid into Hong Kong territory during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England players have their hair platted before their semifinal match against Wales at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Scotland's Dushyant Kadian shouts to disorientate a USA raider during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Hardeep Singh helps a family member in a wheelchair at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
India's Balraj Singh faces linked members of the Hungary team during the quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
USA competitors line up for the national anthems before their quarterfinal against Scotland at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Members of the India women's team warm-up before their semifinal match against Hong Kong at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
USA face Scotland in the quarterfinals of the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Imane Sbihi, center, is tackled as she conducts a raid into the Wales half during their semifinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Gurinder Singh, also known by his nickname 'Judge' of the USA is tackled as he makes a raid into the Scotland half during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup, in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Kabaddi has likely been played in one form or another for some 4,000 years. Two teams of seven players line up opposite each other on a small court. One team attacks and the other defends. While attacking, one player – the raider – will enter the other team’s half and attempt to touch as many of the opposition players as possible, or cross a bonus line in the opposition half, before returning to his or her half, all the while chanting the word “kabaddi.”
The defending team will try to stop them by tacking the raider or pushing the raider out of the court after one of its players has been touched.
A raider can score points by successfully touching opposition players or crossing the bonus line and returning to their own team’s half. Defenders can also score points, but any who are tagged or touched must exit the court. They can be revived by teammates if their team subsequently pulls off a successful raid over the course of the match. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins.
All Friday’s matches took place in Walsall, where the University of Wolverhampton has a campus. Birmingham and Coventry also hosted matches, while the finals were to be staged in Wolverhampton.
Host nation England was to face India in the both the men's and women’s sold-out title deciders.
Here is a photo gallery of some of this week's action curated by AP photo editors.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
England players celebrate beating Hong Kong in a quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Hungary's Daniel Levay lunges at his Indian opponent during their quarterfinal match of the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Officials gesture as Scotland face the USA during a quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup, in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Zsombor Farcas of the Hungary, second right, runs the risk of being surrounded as he raids into the India half during the quarterfinals of the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A team talk takes place between members of the India women's team during their semifinal match against Hong Kong at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England players face a lone Wales raider during their semifinal at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A member of the Scotland coaching team speaks to his players during their quarterfinal match against the USA at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A member of the USA team is interviewed after their quarterfinal match against Scotland at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Hong Kong's Kowk King Yip, second right, conducts a raid into England territory during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
An image of the detail on an England shirt at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Scotland players, in black shorts, face the USA during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Spectators look on as Scotland face the USA during a quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Scotland players link hands during their quarterfinal match against the USA at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Shreyas Annadate, center, attempts to score with a kick during a raid into Hong Kong territory during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England players have their hair platted before their semifinal match against Wales at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Scotland's Dushyant Kadian shouts to disorientate a USA raider during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Hardeep Singh helps a family member in a wheelchair at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
India's Balraj Singh faces linked members of the Hungary team during the quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
USA competitors line up for the national anthems before their quarterfinal against Scotland at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Members of the India women's team warm-up before their semifinal match against Hong Kong at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
USA face Scotland in the quarterfinals of the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Imane Sbihi, center, is tackled as she conducts a raid into the Wales half during their semifinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Gurinder Singh, also known by his nickname 'Judge' of the USA is tackled as he makes a raid into the Scotland half during their quarterfinal match at the Kabaddi World Cup, in Walsall, England, Friday, March 21, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
