As part of the Festival of Youth 2025, the second edition of the IKF Women’s Kabaddi World Cup will take place in the Bangladesh capital from November 15 to 25.
A press conference was held Thursday at the Dutch-Bangla Bank Auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) to share updates on the preparations and objectives of the tournament.
It was announced that Argentina, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Netherlands, Iran, India, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Nepal, Thailand, Uganda, and Zanzibar have confirmed participation in this edition, while Pakistan and Poland have been listed as standby teams.
The event was attended by National Sports Council (NSC) Executive Director Kazi Nazrul Islam, Kabaddi Federation Vice President IGP (Prisons) Brig Gen Syed Md Motaher Hossain, General Secretary SM Newaz Sohag, and Joint Secretary Abdul Haque.
The federation confirmed that the Shaheed Suhrawardy National Indoor Stadium has been allocated as the venue. Coordination is underway with relevant government agencies to ensure smooth arrival, departure, security, accommodation, and local transportation for foreign teams.
Kazi Nazrul Islam emphasized that security would be given utmost priority, saying:
“Women will play, so the matter is very sensitive. We are taking the issue of security seriously and will work in coordination with all departments.”
Regarding preparations, SM Newaz Sohag said:
“We are receiving strong support from the government in all matters. I express my gratitude to them for their cooperation.”
He added that the budget for the World Cup is Tk10.44 crore, of which Tk5 crore will come from the government. Efforts are underway to raise the remaining amount through sponsorships. The general secretary expressed hope that the successful hosting of the event would help strengthen the federation’s financial position.
The Bangladesh national women’s kabaddi team is currently undergoing intensive training at BKSP ahead of the tournament. Discussing the team’s target, Sohag said:
“Bangladesh is currently ranked fifth in the world. We have the potential to move up to second or third. That’s what we are aiming for.”
The first edition of the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup was held in India in 2012.
