Kabaddi teams not confirmed

Archit Watts/TNS

Muktsar, December 3

Two days before the start of the fifth World Cup Kabaddi, the number of the participating teams in the event remains unconfirmed, and no private company has taken up the sponsorship for it.

Eleven teams in the men’s category and eight in the women’s category are expected, but not all of them have confirmed their participation. The men’s teams likely to compete are USA, England, Pakistan, Spain, Denmark, Iran, Argentina, Australia, Sweden, Canada and hosts India. Last year, the men’s competition had 12 teams.

In the women’s section, the competing teams would be from India, USA, England, Denmark, Pakistan, New Zealand, Mexico and first-timers Azerbaijan.

Teams from Kenya and Sierra Leone won’t be competing because of the spread of the Ebola virus there.

Also, no foreign dignitary is expected to be present as the chief guest at the opening and closing ceremonies. In the last edition of the tournament, Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, was the chief guest at the closing ceremony in Badal village. Kartar Singh, OSD to Director Sports, who is nodal officer for the event, said: “Invitations have been sent to a number of dignitaries, but none of them has so far given their confirmation.”

Sources in the Sports Department said that the main focus would be on the opening ceremony in Jalandhar as the government has decreased the budget for gala events at various venues.

“This year approximately Rs 4.5 crore is being spent on the inaugural ceremony, for which the budget last year was Rs 6.5 crore,” said a senior official in the Sports Department. He stated that nearly Rs 17 crore would be spent on the event.

The names of the celebrities to perform in the mega event is not final yet. Sources say that Pakistani singer Aarif Lohar could perform at the closing ceremony.

Speaking over the phone, Tejinder Singh Dhaliwal, Director, Sports Department, said, “It will take some time to finalise everything.” In each of the past events, the opening ceremony had been held in Bathinda and the closing in Ludhiana.