Kabaddi
KABADDI
There are many more games originating from ancient India than we think, namely, Snakes and Ladders, chess and badminton. The game of kabaddi is part of this list, but you might be surprised to know that its popularity didn’t end when the period came to a close. In fact, this sport is viewed by hundreds of millions of people every year, and this figure will continue to rise as kabaddi’s governing body looks to promote it outside of Indian borders through sponsorships and marketing campaigns.
Kabaddi betting is gaining traction too, which is why it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get to know about the sport before trying some online sports betting for yourself.
WHAT IS KABADDI?
Kabaddi is a contact sport that roughly resembles the game of tag, and it is played by a total of 14 players divided into two teams of seven players. There are several different types of kabaddi, played either indoors or outdoors. For the purpose of discussing kabaddi online betting, we’ll focus on the standard version that is played indoors.
This sport is played in a medium-sized arena that is divided into two halves, one for each team. The midway line is called the midline, and parallel to it are two baulk lines. These lines are crucial to the game, and you’ll see why pretty soon.
HOW TO PLAY KABADDI
The objective of kabaddi is to tag as many of your opponents as possible during the allotted time. This is done when the raider — the player whose role is to tag others — steps into the opponents’ half, tags as many players as possible during the 30-second window and crosses over to their own half without getting tackled. Tagging players is rewarded with points; however, no points are awarded if the raider fails to return to their own half.
The team looking to stave off the raider’s tagging is called the anti-raiders, defenders or stoppers. Avoiding the raider’s attacks is a tricky process because once the raider manages to tag a player, the defenders must spring into action and restrict the raider from returning to their own half. Defenders can only restrain the raider from their limbs and torso. Doing so by their clothes or hair is strictly forbidden.
Defenders usually employ a tactic to minimise the raider’s chances of tagging them. This tactic involves players holding each others’ hands while occupying the edges of their half. This not only cuts off the raider’s potential escape routes, but ensures that no player goes out of bounds and it is also used as a communication technique — when one of the defenders gets tagged, they can tug on to their adjacent teammate to inform them of this, and to then tackle the raider.
Suspensions in kabaddi can be quite frequent, but they could be reversed — this action is called “reviving”. For instance, a player will get temporarily suspended from the game should they get tagged or captured. In order to revive the player, the player’s team must score points.
Reviving could be key to a team’s chances of winning the match, and this is especially the case when the bonus line becomes active. If the opposition has six or more players on the mat and the raider’s foot lands over the bonus line before tagging any of the defenders, their team will receive a bonus point as long as the raider returns safely to their team’s half.
KABADDI HISTORY
The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu is said to be the birthplace of kabaddi. People from this region always had a pulsating passion for this sport, and this enthusiasm gradually spread around India’s bordering countries as well. Nowadays, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal are all big fans of the sport, as is Iran, further up the Arabian Sea.
Having said that, it could be argued that kabaddi only claimed international recognition as recently as 1990, when it featured in the Asian Games. India won all five matches of the tournament to clinch a well-deserved gold medal, whereas Bangladesh and Pakistan won silver and bronze medals, respectively.
This success was somewhat short-lived. The years following 1990 were far from promising, as the sport began creeping away from the limelight, much to the disappointment of Indians born in the 20th century, who played kabaddi in their youth. However, the establishment of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in 2014 marked kabaddi’s definite revitalisation. Modern stadiums were constructed, and professional kabaddi players were adequately remunerated. Sponsorships were also arranged, thus creating a new platform for the sport. The first PKL season was viewed by 435 million people, and that number is consistently rising as the years roll by.
KABADDI MAJOR EVENTS
Kabaddi’s temporary dip from public attention was a lesson to be learned. Nowadays, you’ll find many kabaddi tournaments happening all throughout the world, and they can prove to be some very interesting online betting opportunities. Here’s a quick mention of the major kabaddi events that you might see at LV BET and other sports betting sites.
PRO KABADDI LEAGUE
As we mentioned before, the PKL was kabaddi’s lifeline as soon as it was founded in 2014. The large sums of money spent towards making the PKL a hit bore fruit, since the competition annually garners the attention of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
The PKL follows the same format as the Indian Premier League of Twenty20 cricket, and it includes certain rule variations from standard kabaddi. Specifically, tackles are worth two points whenever the anti-raiders have three or fewer players remaining, compared to one in standard kabaddi.
ASIAN GAMES
Although kabaddi featured in the Asian Games in 1990, it had featured twice before — in 1951 and 1982 — albeit without the compensation for medals to the winners. The years from 1990 through 2014 saw India’s supremacy in kabaddi, when the nation won every gold medal available. Iran was the country that managed to stop India in its tracks in 2018, when it became the first country other than India to win a gold medal in kabaddi.
KABADDI WORLD CUP
This Kabaddi World Cup was established in 2004, and it was India that won the first edition of the tournament. The same outcome was produced in the large 2019 Kabaddi World Cup, which saw the participation of 32 men’s teams and 24 women’s teams.
KABADDI BETTING MARKETS
Before dabbling in kabaddi online betting, it would be a good idea to watch a few games of kabaddi. This will expose you to the game’s rules, its relevant statistics and the big names within the sport.
Once you’ve watched a few games, feel free to try your hand at online betting at LV BET, where you’ll see most of the markets below.
MATCH WINNER BET
People new to online sports betting generally opt for this bet, since it is a relatively easy one to understand. This bet will look to predict the winning team of the match; however, winning in extra time isn’t included. Researching the team’s recent form is advised.
OUTRIGHT BET
Not to be confused with the Match Winner bet, the Outright bet will look to predict the winner of the kabaddi event. Similar bets can also be placed on which team you think will finish the competition in the top spots.
Keep in mind that Outright bets might take some time to be settled, given that they are usually placed before the event in question begins.
TOTAL POINTS — OVER/UNDER
The over/under bet will look to predict whether the total number of points scored by both teams will be higher or lower than the value set by the bookie. For example, should the bookie set the Over/Under market at 50.5 points, an Over bet will be wagering on the outcome that both teams score more than a combined 50 points. An Under bet, on the other hand, would hope that both teams score less than 50 points between them.
HANDICAP BET
This market is very popular on sports betting sites, since it looks to level the playing field by giving a non-existent advantage or disadvantage to one of the teams. A handicap bet on the favourite among the two sides will have high odds owing to the elevated risk associated with the bet.
ONLINE KABADDI BETTING — BET ON KABADDI AT LV BET!
Are you on the lookout for a good place to try some kabaddi bets? LV BET more than fits the bill, especially with a perfectly organised user interface to help you browse through our dozens of sports betting markets. We offer the best odds on all the major sporting events happening around the globe, so feel free to load up our Sportsbook and have a look for yourself.
The LV BET Sports Blog, on the other hand, is just a click away! There’s no better way to keep up with all the latest sporting news, betting advice and announcements. After all, it’s constantly updated by expert writers who diligently keep abreast of all the latest happenings in the world of sports.
