Retired AFL superstars Marc Murphy, Josh Kennedy, Brett Deledio, and Dan Hannebery are just a few names to participate in the inaugural Kabaddi summer showcase in Victoria at the Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid tournament.
Kabaddi is a popular Asian sport originating in ancient India played between two teams of seven. The fast-paced contact game is the most popular sport in India, behind cricket and is Bangladesh's national sport.
The objective of the game is for the 'raider', a single player on offence, to run into the opposing team's half and, tag out as many opposition players as possible, and then return to their own half of the court without being tackled by the defenders in 30 seconds.
A point is scored by the offence tagging and then returning to their own half, or tackling the attacker. If a defender is tagged, or an attacker is tackled, they are taken out of the game until their team scores a point again.
The Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid will begin with a curtain-raiser featuring the aforementioned former AFL talent and will be coached by Hawthorn premiership player Campbell Brown. The AFL stars will go up against a team of Indian pro kabaddi players.
Swans legend Josh Kennedy first immersed himself in the sport on a trip to New Dehli in November and will be a part of Australia's team for the Melbourne Raid tournament.
"It's fast, intense, and deeply rooted in Indian culture. I'm excited to bring this experience to Melbourne and show Australians the thrill of this game," Kennedy said.
The tournament is the first to be played outside of Asia.
The Melbourne Raid's opening night is dated for Saturday, December 28th, at John Cain Arena, coinciding with the conclusion of the Boxing Day Test's third day between Australia and India. The time slot allows fans to continue their day of sport with John Cain Arena nearby to the MCG.
Supported by the Victorian Government, Premier Jacinta Allen said she was dedicated to bringing the popular sport to Melbourne, home of 260,000 Indian-born residents.
"I am so proud to deliver on the promise I made in India to bring kabaddi back home to Victoria," Premier Allen said.
As of 2024, the Pro Kabaddi League has been running with 12 teams for ten years after its formation in 2014, with approximately 300 million viewers per season. International tournaments of the sport have been played since the 20th century, however, and was officially recognised as a medal event in the 1990 Asian Games.