India, Pakistan Set to Lock Horns in Six-Nation Kabaddi Masters

India are clubbed with Pakistan and Kenya in group A, while group B features Iran, Republic of Korea and Argentina.

India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry in the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Rajyavardhan Rathore)

India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry in the six-nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai which will get underway at the Al Wasl Sports Club in Dubai from 22 to 30 June.

India are clubbed with Pakistan and newcomers Kenya in group A, while group B features Iran, Republic of Korea and Argentina with top two teams making the semi-finals.

India will be going up against strong contenders with kabaddi maestros Iran and Republic of Korea successfully proving their prowess in the Asian Games and Kabaddi World Cup.

Republic of Korea had beaten India in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup opener, fuelling India's bid for retribution this time.

“Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018 will give us the chance to go up against the best teams and will go all out to gun for the trophy,” India coach Srinivas Reddy said.

"A tournament of this stature does well to bring nations together," Muhammad Sarwar, Secretary General of Pakistan’s Kabaddi Federation said.

All eyes would be on football nation Argentina who are new to the sport and their president Ricardo Acuna said:

The introduction of kabaddi to Argentina has redefined sports participation. This will surely be a moment of reckoning for Argentina’s kabaddi talent.

The tournament will surely see the emergence of new talents in the meet organised by the International Kabaddi Federation in partnership with Star India Pvt Ltd who will air the matches live in two prime time slots of 8 pm and 9 pm IST.

IKF president Janardan Singh Gehlot said they are looking forward to exploring options for a comprehensive international kabaddi calendar that is active annually, successfully pinning kabaddi across the world map.

"Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018 is our first step in that direction and will elevate the stature of our sport considerably. We are thankful to the Dubai Sports Council as well as Star India for their strong role in making this happen," Gehlot said in a release.

In line with the growing multi-sports culture, the nine-day meet supported by Dubai Sports Council will give fans the opportunity to watch the best kabaddi action.

This is the very first time an International kabaddi meet of such a huge scale is organised in Dubai.

"It is our endeavour to successfully become a global destination for both indoor and outdoor sporting spectacles, and this tournament reinforces our commitment in that direction," Dubai Sports Council spokesperson said.