The World Kabaddi Federation (WKF) is the world governing body for the popular contact sport. The registered office is based in New Delhi, India. The sport has over forty national affiliates and features in each of the continents. The purpose of WKF is to oversee the growth of the sport worldwide, protect the heritage, and to manage regional and international competitions.  

Kabbadi is one of the oldest sports of an Indian origin and the belief is its creation was to develop defensive and attacking methods for individuals or groups. Today the game is played on soft ground or sand and is mostly an outdoor sport. Players require both skill and power as the characteristic is a combination of rugby and wrestling. The three disciplines include the traditional style, beach style and circle style. The popularity of Kabbadi is further enhanced by the fact that it is a relatively inexpensive sport to run. Players do not require sophisticated equipment. What sets Kabbadi apart is that the fitness requirement is of a very high standard coupled with physical strength. As this is a contact sport, players need to have agility, speed, stamina and a great deal of mental strength.  

Each team consists of seven players. The object is for a selected player on offence is to run to the opposing team’s half and tag as many players as possible without being tackled. The player is generally referred to as the ‘raider’. Points are scored for each tag, while the opposing team collect points for tackling the ‘raider’. A player who is tagged or tackled is taken out of the game but brought back in for each point scored by their team from a tag or tackle. Punjabi Kabbadi features more traditional style and is played on a circle field outdoors. The standard style features in the Pro League and in international competitions like the Asian Games. These matches are played indoors on foam mats. The game is played by both men and women in separate teams. The World Kabbadi Federation are also responsible for managing a World Cup tournament normally comprising of over thirty teams.