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November 4: Mohali, which drew huge crowds in the Wave World Kabaddi league bonanza four weeks ago, has got the nod to be the host for the semi-finals and finals of the Wave WKL. The four-day Kabaddi feast last month in one of the premier sporting venues in Punjab, Mohali, was a runaway success when it hosted matches in the four-day stint from October 2 to 5, over the long weekend coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. The weekend witnessed eight action packed Kabaddi matches.
The final was originally planned for Mohali but then Lahore came into the picture later on.
Perceptive of the overwhelming audience response received in Mohali in the October weekend, the Governing Council of Wave WKL in a recent meeting decided to have the finals at International Hockey Stadium in Mohali.
The Wave WKL, which is now in its last stages of the League matches, was inaugurated in London and then travelled to Birmingham, before returning to India, where the crowd response has been terrific.
The matches have so far been held in New Delhi, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Bhopal. Of these venues, Jalandhar and Bathinda have had two stints and now Mohali gets to host the final matches.
Featuring eight teams and comprising players from different countries, the teams have so far played 64 matches and there are still 20 more league games to go before the final matches. The top four teams in the League will qualify for the play-offs with the first placed team playing the No. 3 team in first semi-final and the second playing against fourth-placed side. The final between the winners of the two semis will be preceded by a match for third place.
Currently, the League is being led by Khalsa Warriors, who have 31 points from 18 matches and California Eagles are placed second with 20 points from 17 matches and United Singhs are third at 18 points from 16 matches. Punjab Thunder (17 points from 16 matches), Lahore Lions (12 points from 14 matches), Vancouver Lions (12 points from 16 matches), Yo Yo Tigers 9 points from 14 matches) and Royal Kings USA (9 points from 17 matches) follow the leaders.
Each team will play a total of 21 League matches, before the four toppers are decided.
Only Royal Kings USA are out of running for a place in the semis, while Khalsa Warriors are the only team assured of a place in last four.
The next set of matches will be held at Ludhiana in the coming weekend starting from November 7 to 10, 2014. Lahore Lions that could not play in Bhopal due to visa issues will also play in Ludhiana.
About Wave World Kabaddi League (Wave WKL):
The teams and the format:
Wave WKL has eight teams, which will play every other team three times for a total of 21 matches per team in the League. At the end of the League stage, the top four teams qualify for the semi-finals and the winners of the semis will play for the customised Wave World Kabaddi League Trophy and the cash prizes.
The eight teams are: Khalsa Warriors, California Eagles, United Singhs, Punjab Thunder, Lahore Lions, Vancouver Lions, Yo Yo Tigers and Royal Kings USA.
The Wave WKL was inaugurated in UK, where matches were held in London and Birmingham. The matches have since then been held in New Delhi and in various cities in Punjab. The Punjab cities, which have hosted the matches, are: Ludhiana, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Mohali and Amritsar.
