The prize money for the winning team in the second edition of the World Cup Kabaddi has been doubled to a whopping Rs two crore, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and tournament’s chairman Sukhbir Singh Badal announced today.
Badal said that the prize money for the title winners has been doubled to Rs two crore whereas the runners-up would get Rs one crore. The team finishing third would be richer by Rs 51 lakh.
Badal also mentioned that each participating team would get Rs 10 lakh.
Thirteen teams, including host India, will vie for top honours in the tournament to be held from November 1 to 20 at various centers of Punjab.
Besides India, the other teams include Argentina, Pakistan, USA, Canada, UK, Italy, Norway, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Germany and Spain.
Badal vowed to keep the tournament “drug free” and revealed that the organisers had already imposed a ban on 20 Kabaddi players, who tested positive.
Besides the men’s event, four women teams will vie for a prize purse of Rs 25 lakh in the tournament, Badal said.
He insisted that the traditional game of Kabaddi has gained immense popularity in the last one year.
“Around 17 to 18 countries approached us for participating in the tournament,” he said adding that Turkmenistan team will be among others to be vying for top slot in the women’s category.
He said that bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan will perform in the opening ceremony to be held at Bathinda.
The closing ceremony will take place at Ludhiana.
Badal said that the aim of the Punjab Sports department, who are the organisers of the tournament, is to promote circle-style Kabaddi world over.
He informed that the state government’s idea is to get entry of circle-style Kabaddi in the Commonwealth Games and Asian games.
He said that the state government has constructed five stadiums of international level having Astroturf with floodlights.
