By Nawaz Gohar ; The stage is set for an epic domestic showdown as powerhouse units Pakistan Army and Pakistan WAPDA dismantled their respective opponents in the semifinals to book their berths in the grand finale of the Inter-Departmental National Asian Style Kabaddi Championship 2026.

The highly anticipated title match is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM, where both undefeated giants will put everything on the line for the coveted national silverware.

Aside from the blockbusting final, a series of classification matches will take place earlier in the day to determine the final tournament rankings. Heavyweight departmental sides will clash in a packed afternoon schedule:

5th & 6th Position Match (4:00 PM): Airports Security Force (ASF) vs. Pakistan Police
3rd & 4th Position Match (5:00 PM): Pakistan Navy vs. Pakistan Air Force (PAF)
The Grand Finale (6:00 PM): Pakistan Army vs. Pakistan WAPDA

To mark the conclusion of this prestigious tournament, the Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) will attend the closing ceremony as the chief guest. The Federal Secretary will officially present the championship silverware, runner-up accolades, and individual performance awards to the tournament’s top raiders and defenders.

For kabaddi enthusiasts across the country, Thursday promises a masterclass in elite athletic grit. With the nation’s premier institutional athletes sharing the clay, expect a high-octane tactical war of attrition between Army’s disciplined defensive walls and WAPDA’s explosive raiding contingent.

New Auction System and Dubai International Pathway Offers Grassroots Players Contracts Up to ₹1 Lakh

Dubai, March 22, 2025 – The Real Kabaddi League (RKL) today announced its Season 4 Selection Trials, set to commence in April 2025 across more than ten states in India.

The league continues its mission of identifying and nurturing grassroots talent, offering aspiring kabaddi players a platform to showcase their skills and potentially secure professional contracts for the Dubai International edition.

The comprehensive selection process will span major kabaddi talent pools and hold trials in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, ensuring nationwide representation in India’s rapidly growing professional kabaddi ecosystem.

With the Season 4 announcement of the Real Kabaddi League Tournament, all selections would follow an organized and methodical approach for implementing systematic aid to promote unity and competition through the sport of Kabaddi.

The following key player development initiatives would follow selection of top 15 players from trials with a retainer amount of 60000 INR.

The shortlisted players will also have the opportunity to enter the Real Kabaddi League Player & Auction draft with the opportune advantage of securing contracts worth up to 1,00,000 INR.

The RKL Season 4 platform also will assist in the direct qualification of top players with the chance to prove their kabaddi skills in the Dubai International edition.

Shubham Choudhary, Founder & CEO of Real Kabaddi League, shares; “Our vision with RKL has always been to empower raw talent from the heartlands of India and provide them with the same recognition and opportunities as mainstream sports. With Season 4, we are raising the bar through robust player development programs and international exposure. We are committed to making kabaddi a sustainable and rewarding career for athletes.”

Adding his support, Rannvijay Singha, League Ambassador, states; “Real Kabaddi League is not just a tournament; it’s a movement to celebrate and uplift homegrown sports.

The energy, passion, and dedication of these players are unmatched, and I’m proud to be part of a league that’s opening doors for them at national and international levels. Season 4 is going to be bigger, better, and full of surprises!”

The league’s continued expansion reflects the growing popularity of kabaddi as a professional sport in India and beyond. Since its inception, RKL has been instrumental in discovering hidden talent from remote regions and transforming promising athletes into professional kabaddi players.

LAHORE (March 31, 2022): Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti said Jhang Kabaddi Festival will play a key role in the promotion of kabaddi in this region of the province; he said this while talking at the closing ceremony of Jhang Kabaddi Festival at Sports Stadium Mandi Shah Jeewana on Thursday.

Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan, Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Chief Sports Consultant SBP Hafeez Bhatti, Divisional Sports Officer DG Khan Atta ur Rehman, District Sports Officer Jhang M Jameel and a large number of kabaddi enthusiasts were also present on this occasion.

Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti was warmly received by the local kabaddi officials. He was also introduced to all participating teams of the event. It may be noted here that the competitions of Jhang Kabaddi Festival and Kabaddi Taakra events are being organised under the aegis of Sports Board Punjab.

Thousands of kabaddi enthusiasts were there to watch the exciting kabaddi encounters. They appreciated the skills of all participating kabaddi teams.

Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimmor Khan Bhatti said kabaddi is the traditional and most popular sport of our province. “We organised Jhang Kabaddi Festival as part of our campaign to promote sports culture at regional level after the successful holding of sports events in South Punjab and we will continue this sequence in future as well”.

Talking on this occasion, Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan said that Jhang Kabaddi Festival and Kabaddi Taakra events are being staged for the promotion of this traditional game among the young generation of the province. “We are quite upbeat to find several talented kabaddi players though this event,” he added.