MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited, (SPN), has acquired the exclusive media rights for World Cup Kabaddi 2019, which will be held in Malacca, Malaysia from July 20 to July 28, 2019. The agreement with Malaysia Kabaddi Federation gives SPN the rights to televise the tournament on its sports channels across eight territories: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan; and will also make it available on their premium video on demand (VOD) service, SonyLIV.

Kabaddi is India’s homegrown sport and amongst the more popular sports in the country. And it seems that the rest of the world is also catching up to its appeal. The inaugural edition of the World Cup Kabaddi will see participation from the top kabaddi teams and players from across the world including India, Pakistan, England, Poland, USA, Canada, Mauritius, Egypt, Australia and Kenya amongst others. World Cup Kabaddi 2019 will feature 32 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams competing for the title of world champions. In fact, this will be the first time that teams from five continents of the world will feature in a Kabaddi tournament of this magnitude and this will position kabaddi as a global sport not only in India but also around the world.

Indian kabaddi players have always delivered excellent performances at international platforms and audiences can expect a world class experience from top players like Sunil Jaipal, Naveen Kumar, Sandeep Chillar and Suresh Kumar amongst others at the World Cup Kabaddi 2019. Kabaddi enthusiasts will also witness prominent international players like Simon Kibura from Kenya, Nahuel VIllamayor and Nahuel Lopez from Argentina, Filip Sesay from Poland to name a few who will represent their respective countries when they compete at the largest Kabaddi tournament that the world has ever seen.