Melbourne could host Kabaddi showcase match in 2026 under Allan-government India push
Kabaddi — described as a cross between rugby and wrestling but without a ball — would be brought to Melbourne as part of a push by Jacinta Allan to strengthen ties with India.
Victoria
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The Indian sport of kabaddi would be brought to Victoria in a world first as part of the Allan government’s push to strengthen ties with India.
Jacinta Allan said on Tuesday the government was working with the Pro Kabaddi League of India to explore bringing a PKL showcase to Melbourne by 2026.
The move would revive an election commitment by Daniel Andrews to include kabaddi as an exhibition event as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The contact sport – which has been described as a cross between rugby and wrestling, but without a ball – sits behind only cricket as the most popular in India, with an estimated 356 million people following the PKL.
A local event would have the potential to expose Victoria to millions of Indians, with the PKL boasting a broadcast reach of more than 200 million households.
In its most recent season, 80 million people tuned in to watch the opening weekend’s first four games.
“As the sporting capital of Australia, we’re proud to be partnering with the Pro Kabaddi League to explore bringing a PKL Showcase in Melbourne, with the sport attracting one of the fastest growing fan bases around the globe,” Ms Allan said.
The Premier met with PKL commissioner Anupam Goswami and stars of the league, Pawan Sehrawat and Ajay Thakur, in Delhi on Tuesday to announce a partnership to bring an event to Melbourne in the next 18 months.
It came on the third day of Ms Allan’s five-day India visit in which she toured the Laxmi Narayan Hindu Temple and launched the government’s renewed India Strategy.
Describing it as a “road map to shared prosperity”, Ms Allan said the five-year strategy would boost opportunities between key sectors and deepen the bilateral relationship.
The government will focus on strengthening food and agribusiness, education, digital technology and innovation and tourism sectors, while creative industries, sport and the environment have also been identified as growth opportunities.
It also hopes to begin exploring opportunities in both the health sector and manufacturing and engineering space.
Ahead of launching the strategy, Ms Allan announced a new Centre of Excellence in Melbourne to be set up by global tech company Sonata Software in a move expected to generate about 100 new Victorian jobs for data engineers, solution architects and technical analysts.
Australia Asia and Indian Business Organisation chief Ravi Ragupathy said the evolving Victoria-India relationship presented many new opportunities.
“Premier Allan’s visit is not just symbolic but holds the promise of unlocking new opportunities across a broad spectrum of industries,” he said.
“Victoria’s growing economic and cultural ties with India, supported by the vibrant Indian community, especially in Melbourne, have set the stage for even deeper engagements.”
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