The Global Kabaddi League (GKL), formerly World Kabaddi League (WKL), was a professional circle-style kabaddi league with teams from various countries.
History First season: 2014 The league's first season was in 2014 in which 8 international teams played in 14 cities in 4 different countries. Three of the teams had celebrity owners. The regular season was four months long, and was followed by an elimination tournament that took place in Mohali, Punjab, India, in which the top four teams determined a champion. Khalsa Warriors beat United Singhs to win the inaugural season.
Teams Club Name Country Host city Owner Khalsa Warriors London Heathrow, England, United Kingdom Akshay Kumar Yo Yo Tigers Toronto, Canada Honey Singh Vancouver Lions Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Gurjit Singh Purewal Punjab Thunder Surrey, British Columbia, Canada Thind Properties and Rajat Bedi Lahore Lions Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan Government of Punjab, Pakistan United Singhs Birmingham, England, United Kingdom Sonakshi Sinha California Eagles Stockton, California, United States Tut Group Royal Kings Sacramento, California, United States Thiara Company
Venues The venues of the World Kabaddi League spanned five countries. City Country Venue Image Abbotsford Abbotsford Arena Amritsar GNDU Hockey Stadium Birmingham LG Arena Bathinda Bhatinda Hockey Stadium Delhi Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium London The O2 Arena Lahore Punjab Stadium Jalandhar Burlton Park Hockey Stadium Ludhiana Hockey Ground, Punjab Agricultural University Mohali International Hockey Stadium New York City Nassau Coliseum Sacramento Sleep Train Arena Stockton SMG Stockton Arena Hamilton FirstOntario Centre Vancouver
Television broadcasters Sony SIX has signed on to broadcast the league in India. PTC Punjabi has signed on to broadcast the league around the world. Nation/TerritoryBroadcaster Sony SIX PTC Punjabi PTC Punjabi PTC Punjabi PTC Punjabi Geo Super
Second season: 2016 The second season of the league was held in 2016, but had numerous budgetary problems. It featured 6 teams: California Eagles Khalsa Warriors Milwaukee Wolves Punjab Tigers Royal Kings USA United Singhs
California Eagles beat Royal Kings USA to win the final. The 2017 season was indefinitely postponed.
Third season: 2018 After a reorganization, the league rebranded itself as the Global Kabaddi League and launched the new version in 2018. The only team to return for the third season was the California Eagles. The teams in this season were: Black Panthers Delhi Tigers California Eagles Haryana Lions Maple Leaf Canada Singh Warriors Punjab
This version of the league lasted until the final match on November 3, 2018. California Eagles defeated Haryana Lions to win the season. The games were broadcast by PTC Punjabi's channels.
Playing technique Two teams of seven players face each other in a circle and take turns sending a "raider" into the other team. To win a point, the raider must take a breath, run into the opposing half, tag one member of the opposite team, then return to his home. The raider will have only 30 seconds to touch the opponents and come back to his home. The game is played with 20-minute halves and a five-minute half-time break during which teams exchange sides.
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