Kabaddi World Cup 2016: Defending champion India take on East Asian powerhouse South Korea in opening match

Defending champion and hosts India shall take on East Asian giants South Korea in their opening match of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup which commences later in the evening on Friday at the TransStadia, Ahmedabad. Meanwhile USA shall take on West Asian powerhouse Iran in the opening game of Group B.

India who have won seven successive world Kabbadi titles would like to add another title to their kitty in front of their home fans. Meanwhile South Korea are a formidable opponent who have been been a potent force at the Asian level besides India, Iran and Bangladesh.

Anup Kumar shall be leading the Indian charge in the tournament. The Indian team shall benifit from the experience of Anup Kumar and Manjit Chillar who have been their seasoned campaigners at major international tournaments. Meanwhile the likes of Gurpreet Singh and Surjeet Singh Narwal also impressed one and all with their skills at the last edition of the Pro Kabaddi league.

The Korean players are known for th‏eir speed and agility. The Koreans are no first timers on Indian soil as some of their star players like Jan Kun Lee and Tae Deok Eom have made their mark in the Pro Kabaddi League.

See Pics: Top 5 Indian stalwarts set to ignite the 2016 Kabbadi World Cup

The Indian team goes into the tournament as the hot favourites courtesy their stupendous showing in the previous editions of the World cups. 

Match Details:

Match:  India vs South Korea

Group:  A

Match Timings:   20:00 (IST)

Indian Squad: Anup Kumar (Captain),  Rahul Chaudhary, Pardeep Narwal, Deepak Hooda, Jasvir Singh, Ajay Thakur, Mohit Chhillar, Surender Nadda, Surjeet Singh, D Cherathalan, Kiran Parmar, Manjeet Chillar, Nitin Tomar, Sandeep Narwal

South Korea Squad: Dong Ju Hong (Captain), Kim Ki-dong, Park Hyun-il, Eom Tae-deok Lee Jang-kun, Yook Sang-min, Ahn Hwan-gi, Jung Kwang-soo, Seo Dea-ho, Kim Seong-ryeol Kim Gyung-tae,Heo Youn-chan

Also Read: How do raiders combat tacklers in a Kabaddi battle