Women’s Kabaddi World Cup postponed an hour after Bangladesh name squad

In an unexpected turn of events, the second edition of the Women's Kabaddi World Cup was postponed just an hour after Bangladesh revealed their 15-member squad for the tournament in a press conference held at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium on Saturday.

Originally slated to take place in Hyderabad, India, from August 3 to 10, 2025, the tournament has now been put on hold. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) informed the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation of the postponement through an official letter on the same day.

"Due to limited time available for organising the tournament, it has been decided, keeping the best interests of the sport in mind, to postpone the 2nd Women's Kabaddi World Cup 2025. Revised dates will be announced shortly," the letter stated.

The Women's Kabaddi World Cup was set to return after more than a decade since its inaugural edition, which was held in Patna, India, in 2012.

Bangladesh had finalized their squad, appointing Ruplai Akter as captain, with plans to depart for India on August 1. Preparations for the campaign had been underway since February, with the team training under local coaches Shahnaz Parvin Maleka and Arduzzaman Munshi at the Riya Gope Women's Sports Complex in Dhaka.

As part of their buildup, the national team also made history by playing their first-ever Kabaddi Test series in Nepal this past April.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Kabbaddi Federation announced that the national championship (men's and women's) will begin on July 29.