Pakistan and India to clash in Dubai
SIX-NATION KABADDI MASTERS 2018 EVENT BEGINS ON JUNE 22
It will be India versus Pakistan in the high-octane opening clash of the sixnation Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018, under the auspices of Dubai Sports Council and organised by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) with Star India Pvt. Ltd.
The nine-day tournament, beginning on June 22, will be held at the Al Wasl Stadium, Dubai. Other participating nations include Republic of Korea, Iran, Argentina and Kenya. The action will be live on Dubai Sports and Star Gold from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.
The tournament is held keeping in mind the 2019 World Cup, which the organisers are planning to host in Dubai and giving the UAE an opportunity to field their own team.
“The Kabaddi ecosystem has seen massive success and has grown at a formidable speed. Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018 is a solid step towards the growth of the sport globally. It is an excellent platform for players — both Indian and International to showcase their mettle and make a name for themselves,” said Anupam Goswami, Head of Pro Kabaddi, Star India, in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.
“It is our constant endeavour to improve the experience of Kabaddi in every way possible and Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018 has all the necessary elements to further fuel the growth of the sport. We are seeing this event in Dubai as a proof of concept to conduct the World Cup here in Dubai. It also gives us an opportunity to understand the institution we are going to work with,” added Goswami.
Pull in crowds
The timing of the inaugural event, however, clashes with the football World Cup, but Goswami is optimistic that they will still manage to draw in crowds with teams like India, Pakistan and Iran in the fray.
“There will be at least two India versus Pakistan matches. I have heard how the kabbadi matches at the 2016 Doha Asian Games saw a full house. What we are counting on is that there is captive following for India and Pakistan teams, respectively. Iran’s matches against Pakistan and India should also pull in crowds. We are also confident of our own team making sure that our events work OK,” asserted Goswami.
The six participating teams are divided into two groups of three.