| Sport | Circle style kabaddi |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| First season | 2014 |
| CEO | Raman Raheja |
| President | Sukhbir Singh Badal |
| Commissioner | Pargat Singh |
| Country |  India  United States  Canada  United Kingdom  Pakistan |
The Global Kabaddi League (GKL), formerly World Kabaddi League (WKL), was a professional circle-style kabaddi league with teams from various countries.
The league's first season was in 2014 in which 8 international teams played in 14 cities in 4 different countries. Three of the teams had celebrity owners. [1] The regular season was four months long, and was followed by an elimination tournament that took place in Mohali, Punjab, India, in which the top four teams determined a champion. Khalsa Warriors beat United Singhs to win the inaugural season. [2]
| Club Name | Country | Host City | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khalsa Warriors | India | London Heathrow, England, United Kingdom | Akshay Kumar [3] |
| Yo Yo Tigers | India | Toronto, Canada | Honey Singh [4] |
| Vancouver Lions | Canada | Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada | Gurjit Singh Purewal |
| Punjab Thunder | India | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | Thind Properties and Rajat Bedi |
| Lahore Lions | Pakistan | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan | Government of Punjab, Pakistan |
| United Singhs | United Kingdom | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | Sonakshi Sinha [5] |
| California Eagles | United States | Stockton, California, United States | Tut Group |
| Royal Kings | United States | Sacramento, California, United States | Thiara Company |
The venues of the World Kabaddi League spanned four countries. [6]
| City | Country | Venue | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | Canada | Abbotsford Arena | |
| Amritsar | India | GNDU Hockey Stadium | |
| Birmingham | United Kingdom | LG Arena | |
| Bathinda | India | Bhatinda Hockey Stadium | |
| Delhi | India | Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium | |
| London | United Kingdom | The O2 Arena [7] | |
| Lahore | Pakistan | Punjab Stadium | |
| Jalandhar | India | Burlton Park Hockey Stadium | |
| Ludhiana | India | Hockey Ground, Punjab Agricultural University | |
| Mohali | India | International Hockey Stadium | |
| New York City | United States | Nassau Coliseum | |
| Sacramento | United States | Sleep Train Arena | |
| Stockton | United States | SMG Stockton Arena | |
| Hamilton | Canada | FirstOntario Centre | |
| Vancouver | Canada |
Sony SIX has signed on to broadcast the league in India. [8] PTC Punjabi has signed on to broadcast the league around the world.
| Nation/Territory | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| India | Sony SIX |
| United States of America | PTC Punjabi |
| United Kingdom | PTC Punjabi |
| Canada | PTC Punjabi |
 Australia | PTC Punjabi |
| Pakistan | Geo Super |
The second season of the league was held in 2016, but had numerous budgetary problems. [1] It featured 6 teams:
California Eagles beat Royal Kings USA to win the final. [9] The 2017 season was indefinitely postponed. [10]
After a reorganization, the league rebranded itself as the Global Kabaddi League and launched the new version in 2018. [1] [11] The only team to return for the third season was the California Eagles. [1] The teams in this season were:
This version of the league lasted until the final match on November 3, 2018. [12] California Eagles defeated Haryana Lions to win the season. [13] The games were broadcast by PTC Punjabi's channels. [11]
Two teams of seven players face each other in a circle and take turns sending a "raider" into the other team. To win a point, the raider must take a breath, run into the opposing half, tag one member of the opposite team, then return to his home. The raider will have only 30 seconds to touch the opponents and come back to his home. The game is played with 20-minute halves and a five-minute half-time break during which teams exchange sides.