“Circle Kabaddi does not need illegality; it needs structuring and legal recognition,” says Surrey-based international sports promoter and thinker Tejinder Singh Aujla.

Responding to the recent announcement suspending all Circle (Punjabi style) Kabaddi tournaments worldwide throughout 2026, except in Punjab, India, where events may continue until the end of April this year, Aujla has outlined a blueprint aimed at pulling the sport out of its current crisis.

Often described as one of the richest yet most unorganized sports, Circle Kabaddi has been deeply affected by a series of violent incidents, including the killing of several prominent players. Beginning with the murder of Sandeep Nangal Ambian in 2020, the sport has drawn increasing negative attention as the list of victims grew to include Arvinder Pal Singh Padda, Gurmail Singh Batala, Dharminder Singh, Hardeep Singh, Sukhwinder Singh Naini, Jagwinder Singh, Sonu Nolta Panchkula, Tejpal Singh, and Gurwinder Singh. The most recent case was the killing of Kanwar Digvijay Singh, also known as Rana Balachauria, at a kabaddi tournament venue in Mohali in December last year.

From November through April each year, nearly every major village in Punjab hosts an international Kabaddi tournament featuring many of the sport’s top players. Prize money often runs into lakhs of rupees and includes high-value rewards such as cars, Bullet motorcycles, and gold coins for standout raiders and stoppers.

However, the absence of coordination among organizers and professional rivalries has fractured the sport. Players aligned with one group are often barred from participating in tournaments organized by rival factions. This fragmentation is believed to be one of the factors that led to the decision to suspend Kabaddi tournaments worldwide for a year.

In December, a large section of Kabaddi organizers and promoters met and agreed to suspend tournaments while also announcing the formation of the Federation of International Kabaddi Federations and Associations (FIFKA). The proposed body has been tasked with drafting a charter and rule book to govern the sport globally, discipline players and organizers, and schedule events, including major tournaments.

Circle Style Kabaddi is closely intertwined with the global Punjabi community. As Jagrup Singh Brar, one of the longest-serving MLAs in British Columbia, once observed, “We Punjabis have two hearts; one beats for our ancestral land (Punjab, India), and the other for the country that we have made our second home.”

Expanding on that sentiment, Aujla says that “of two Punjabi hearts, one beats for Kabaddi and the other for field hockey. It is why our ancestors took both these sports with them wherever they went and settled down.” This, he explains, is why Kabaddi tournaments have become an integral part of life for Punjabi communities overseas.

Kabaddi is among the most accessible team sports, requiring no equipment. It blends elements of athletics, gymnastics, and wrestling, demanding speed, agility, and strength. Players traditionally fall into two categories, raiders and stoppers, though all-rounders who combine both skills have increasingly emerged.

According to Aujla, Kabaddi, particularly the Punjab or Circle style, is more than a sport. It is a cultural emblem of the Punjab region, historically known as Sapta Sindhu or undivided Punjab, and its surrounding areas. Known as the “mother game of Punjab,” Kabaddi has long symbolized rural tradition, valor, and communal pride. Played on open grounds with minimal resources, it historically reflected village life, where courage, stamina, and skill defined the game. For generations, Kabaddi thrived as a community festival and a marker of local identity.

The sport’s roots trace back to northern India, especially rural undivided Punjab before 1947, spanning present-day Indian Punjab, Pakistani Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. It was commonly played during harvest festivals, religious gatherings, and local fairs.

Aujla notes that, unlike standardized sports, Kabaddi evolved with many undefined rules. It remained inclusive and reliant on local talent, with villages producing players who became community heroes. As media exposure and private funding increased, Circle Kabaddi attracted large audiences and significant financial backing. Informal village contests transformed into high-stakes but poorly organized tournaments, some offering prize money running into crores of rupees. Spectator interest surged, making Kabaddi a weekend spectacle across northern India and among the diaspora.

With increased money, however, came challenges the sport was never institutionally equipped to manage. Unlike established sports governed by structured federations from the national to district levels, Kabaddi remained fragmented. Numerous organizations and promoters emerged, each claiming authority over tournaments, rules, and player registrations.

Governance, Aujla argues, became opaque. Selections and decisions were often driven by coercion rather than transparent, democratic processes. Corruption, personal loyalties, regional dominance, and at times caste or political affiliations overshadowed merit. He points to irregularities, unlawful practices, lack of accountability and transparency, the infiltration of drug mafias and criminal gangs, use of illegal substances, and incidents of violence as symptoms of a sport operating outside formal oversight. Kabaddi, he says, lacks recognition from any government sports authority.

Despite its popularity and financial backing, Circle Kabaddi remains governance-poor, without the checks and balances required of professional sport. In such conditions, Aujla warns, sustainable growth is difficult, and decline becomes inevitable. The central question, he says, is whether stakeholders will take responsibility to reform the sport or whether intervention will come through legal and administrative action.

Public oversight, he asserts, is now unavoidable. Bringing Kabaddi under lawful governance and institutional regulation should be seen not as a threat but as a necessity. Elected representatives and governing institutions, he adds, have a responsibility to ensure transparency, accountability, and the long-term protection of a sport with deep cultural and social significance. The future of Circle Kabaddi depends on visionary leadership that prioritizes integrity, culture, and growth over personal gain. With proper governance, the sport can preserve its traditional essence while evolving into a globally respected professional discipline.

Kabaddi, Aujla says, is currently experiencing one of its lowest phases, marked by poor organization, corruption, criminal infiltration, violence, doping, and the absence of long-term vision. Without credible leadership and institutional direction, it has drifted into what he describes as a quasi-lawless state.

At this critical juncture, Aujla calls on thinkers, intellectuals, and responsible representatives of the Punjabi community to step forward and safeguard this heritage sport. Kabaddi must be reorganized and structured as a permanent, professionally managed sport. What is urgently needed, he says, is a clear, time-bound vision, including a ten-year strategic plan to build a strong organizational framework from the grassroots to the highest levels.

Aujla adds that he has prepared a detailed blueprint to help restore Kabaddi from crisis to stability and from popular spectacle to professional sport. Those interested can obtain the blueprint by contacting him at teji_55@hotmail.com.

Related posts:

Indian Hockey’s Road to LA 2028: Tejinder Singh Aujla on Qualification Challenges, Transition, and Governance City of Brampton Breaks Ground on Cassie Campbell Field Hockey and Multisport Training Dome Cricket Canada Suspended from Safe Sport Program Over Compliance Failures 1980 Moscow Olympics Hockey Champion Davinder Singh Garcha Dies at 73