Just like India, tempers and emotions can soar really high during sporting contests in Pakistan as well and when it comes to Kabaddi, things can get really ugly. In this shocking piece video provided by Pakistani channel 24 News, a Kabaddi match being played in Faisalabad turned into an ugly brawl, which saw players fighting each other and the crowd getting involved as well.
Kabaddi is really popular in Faisalabad, a city located in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and crowds turn up in huge numbers to watch these games.
According to the report presented by the news channel, this particular match took place between Shahzad Hanif Group and Ghulam Abbas Group. Initially, the conflict began between the players and there was a brief scuffle between them.
However, as the game wore on, things began to get really ugly and a flurry of punches were thrown by players from both sides. Things got even worse when crowds got involved in the act and then the fight turned into a mass brawl, which forced organisers to abandon the match just a few minutes from its end. Reportedly, organisers took this step in order to prevent the brawl from becoming huge.
As told by the reporter on the ground, Pakistan’s Punjab province is a powerhouse when it comes to circle style kabaddi and thousands turn up to attend these matches. Since the circle style kabaddi requires a huge space to be played, it mostly takes place in an open ground, thereby the number of attendees is higher.
Notably, Pakistan is a kabaddi powerhouse and both styles of kabaddi, including circle and professional, are played with great fervour in India’s neighbouring country. This particular match was being played in circle style, which recently saw its World Championships being held in India. The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, organised by International Kabaddi Federation, meanwhile, did not feature Pakistan and it caused a huge uproar there.
In late 2016, Pakistan Kabaddi Federation announced that a new professional kabaddi league will be held there in 2017. Speaking to APP, Muhammad Sarwar, Secretary of PKF, had said, “We are in the process holding the league in a trendsetting manner besides introducing a new culture of professionalism in the game of kabaddi in Pakistan, Strawberry Sports Management are the Owners of the private sector led League. PKF is delighted to be their exclusive technical collaborator for the ten years of the League.”
