India have dominated the Kabaddi World Cup since the inaugural edition was played in 2004.
Organised by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), the World Cup follows the standard style rules, similar to that in Pro Kabaddi – the top franchise-level competition in the sport.
India have also been the only nation to have hosted a Kabaddi World Cup. The first edition was held in 2004 in Mumbai, followed by Panvel in 2007 and Ahmedabad in 2016. The only women’s Kabaddi World Cup was held in 2012 in Patna.
The Indian kabaddi teams, the traditional powerhouses in the sport, have won all four tournaments. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran have finished as runners-up in all editions.
Kabaddi World Cup winners list
| Year | Winner | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | India | Iran | Mumbai |
| 2007 | India | Iran | Panvel |
| 2016 | India | Iran | Ahmedabad |
| Year | Winner | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | India | Iran | Patna |
Men’s Kabaddi World Cup 2004 – Mumbai
The inaugural Kabaddi World Cup in 2004 was played in a single round-robin format followed by the knockout stage. There were 12 teams divided into three groups of four each with the top two sides advancing to the knockout. Finalists India and Iran topped their respective groups and received byes in the quarter-finals.
The semi-finals witnessed India beat Bangladesh and Iran defeat Canada, paving the way for the two teams to meet in the final, where the host nation won 55-27. Bangladesh and Canada finished joint-third.
Men’s Kabaddi World Cup 2007 – Panvel
Although 16 teams were initially expected, a total of 14 nations participated in the second edition of the men’s Kabaddi World Cup. The teams were divided into four groups of four countries each with India and Sri Lanka being the only two teams in Pool A after Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan did not take part.
It followed the same format as the previous edition of the tournament. India and Iran once again eased their way into the quarter-finals, where they beat Malaysia and Thailand, respectively. India then won against Bangladesh in the semis, while Iran beat Japan to enter the final, which the host nation won once again by a 29-19 scoreline. Bangladesh and Japan were joint-third.
Men’s Kabaddi World Cup 2016 – Ahmedabad
The third edition of the men’s Kabaddi World Cup was contested by 12 teams and they were divided into two groups of six countries each with the top two sides from each pool moving to the semis. India and Iran were placed in different pools and both teams lost one match in the group stage.
While India suffered a shock 34-32 upset in their opener, Iran were beaten by Poland. However, both teams made the semi-finals with India beating Thailand and Iran defeating the Republic of Korea in the final four.
The final saw India complete a hat-trick of wins in the World Cup after beating Iran for the third time in a row. South Korea and Thailand were joint-third.
Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2012 – Patna
Eight years after the inaugural men’s edition, the first-ever women’s Kabaddi World Cup took place in Patna. As many as 16 teams participated in the tournament and they were divided into four groups of four each. Eventual finalists India and Iran won all their round-robin matches to top Group A and D, respectively.
India beat Indonesia, while Iran defeated South Korea in the quarter-finals. The semi-finals saw India win against Japan, while Iran got the better of Thailand. The final was a tight affair but India went on to prevail 25-19 and become the first-ever women’s Kabaddi World Cup champions. Japan and Thailand were joint-third.
