Giants South Korea along with Japan and Uganda are going to take part in the Bangabandhu Cup International Kabaddi Tournament for the first time as its fourth edition is all set to get underway in Dhaka Sunday with the participation of 12 countries.
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Poland and Kenya are among other participants who are expected to face stiff contest against hosts and three-time champions Bangladesh.
South Korea are likely to give the home side a hard challenge to retain the title this time around as they had bitter experience of losing to the Koreans at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, president of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation and Inspector General of Bangladesh Police, said at a press conference that their efforts to develop kabaddi through various programs and make the national sport popular in the world landscape are going on.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the whip of the national parliament and the former captain of the Bangladesh national team, said increasing the value of kabaddi is not a one-day task.
He pledged to try his best to serve the game and expand it.
The eight-day long tournament will be held at Mirpur Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium.