Who we are & What we do
England Kabaddi Union (EKU) was established by five players who played at university level and were a part of university Kabaddi club commitees. Before we registered as a company, The England Kabaddi Union Ltd, there was no formal management of Kabaddi, specifically rectangular Kabaddi, in England. We are filling that gap with transparent and accountable functioning as the official governing body for Kabaddi in England while working towards sustainably fulfilling our mission.
We work closely with university Kabaddi clubs across England and Kabaddi organisations across the world. We are officially affiliated with the International Kabaddi Federation - which is the most well renowned and reputed Kabaddi organisation in the world. They manage and run the famous ProKabaddi League in India while also being responsible for organising the prestigious Kabaddi world cups.
You can find a list of our clubs and affiliates here.
Our mission
Promote Kabaddi Across England
Develop Kabaddi in Schools and Universities
Provide Many Playing Opportunities
Collaborate Locally and Internationally
Transparent and Accountable Management
England Kabaddi Union Committee
Sanjay Patel
President
Responsible for:
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Overall long-term strategy of England Kabaddi Union
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Collaborating with local and international organisations
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Ensuring the committee operates transparently and with integrity
Karmanya Singh
Vice President
Responsible for:
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Collaborating with local and international organisations
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Maintaining governance through policies and other documentation
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Ensuring transparent and accountable management
Radhika Yadav
Communications Officer
Responsible for:
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Handling England Kabaddi Union's communications to our partners and the wider public
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Responsible for England Kabaddi Union's social media
Please click below if you are interested in joining the England Kabaddi Union committee.
The England Kabaddi Union Ltd Board
Karmanya Singh
Executive Director
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Karmanya played Kabaddi for Imperial College London and was club captain for the 2017-18 academic year.
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Karmanya is now a consultant and partner at Kommit Techno-Legal LLP.
Oishik Raha
Non-Executive Director
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Oishik played Kabaddi for Imperial College London, he was club captain for the 2016-17 academic year and president the following year.
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Oishik is now a doctor for the National Health Service (NHS).
Sanjay Patel
Executive Director
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Sanjay played Kabaddi for Imperial College London and was secretary for the 2015-16 academic year.
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Sanjay is now a Pricing Analyst for Inigo insurance.
Our achievements
August 2024 - European Beach Kabaddi Championships (Poland)
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EKU were invited to the European Beach Kabaddi Championships.
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England were represented by both a Men's and Women's team.
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EKU also supplied two referees for the championships.
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Both Men's and Women's teams finished runners up, beating teams such as Scotland, Norway, Ukraine, Hungary.
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The tournament was live streamed on YouTube and highlights were posted on social media.
May 2024 - Kabaddi Adda / Sportzcraazy partnership
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EKU entered into a training partnership allowing 2 England players to train at U.P. Yoddas’ academy for 1 month in June 2024.
October 2023 - 2 EKU players purchased in PKL auction
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EKU put forward two England players for the Pro Kabaddi Season 10 player auction, Felix Li and Yuvraj Pandeya.
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Both Felix and Yuvraj were purchased by Dabang Delhi for 1,300,000 Indian Rupees each (roughly £12,700).
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This was the first time England players were purchased in India’s ProKabaddi League auction.
September 2023 - EKU begin the EKU Referee Certification Programme
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The programme consists of a theory exam and a practical requirement in order to become a fully qualified referee.
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Currently, there are 7 fully certified and 1 provisionally certified EKU Referees.
March 2023 - Bangabandhu Cup 2023 (Bangladesh)
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EKU were invited for the second time to the Bangabandhu Cup.
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England were represented by 11 players and 3 staff and beat both Poland and Argentina.
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Highlight clips on TikTok and Instagram have gained millions of views.
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The matches were broadcasted live on T Sports and live streamed on YouTube.
February 2023 - EKU published the Official EKU Kabaddi Rules
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EKU produced a set of rules for Kabaddi and published them on our website.
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These continue to be updated and are the clearest and most comprehensive set of rules for Kabaddi.
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Rules are published at: https://www.englandkabaddi.com/rules
January 2023 - Kabaddi training partnerships in Birmingham and London
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EKU entered into an agreement with West London College in London and Fox Hollies Leisure Centre in Birmingham to hire out the venue every week for Kabaddi training at a discounted price.
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Training commenced in January and September of 2023 respectively.
March 2022 - Bangabandhu Cup 2022 (Bangladesh)
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England competed with teams Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya and Nepal.
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10 players were selected to represent England along with 2 EKU representatives.
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Highlight clips on TikTok and Instagram have gained millions of views.
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The matches were broadcasted live on T Sports and live streamed on YouTube.
February 2021 - EKU affiliates with the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF)
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The most well renowned and reputed Kabaddi organisation in the world.
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They manage and run the famous ProKabaddi League in India while also being responsible for organising the prestigious Kabaddi world cups.
June 2021 - Official post-COVID Return-To-Play approved guidance
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EKU’s Return-To-Play guidance was the official guidance approved by Sport England and DCMS (UK Gov) for returning to play Kabaddi after COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed.
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Read more at: https://www.englandkabaddi.com/covid
December 2020 - EKU incorporates as a Private Limited Company as The England Kabaddi Union Ltd
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EKU was registered to Companies House with five players serving as directors who played at university level and were a part of university Kabaddi club commitees.
January 2020 - England beat Poland 47-62 in Warsaw, Poland
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England beat Poland in Warsaw in January 2020 - POL 47-62 ENG
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This was the first game played by England as EKU.