'Connected by Kabaddi': PM Modi’s keynote highlights India-Poland relations

(L-R) PM Modi with Polish PM Donald Tusk, PKL players in action (Photo: @narendramodi/X/PKL)

Since the inception of the Mashal Sports-organized Pro Kabaddi League in 2014, the sport has seen a rise in popularity worldwide. Such is kabaddi's reach that players from different countries come to India to make a name for themselves in the world's biggest kabaddi league.

The nation's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is currently in Poland to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During his keynote address, he brought up a common factor between the two countries - Kabaddi.

"We are connected through the game of kabaddi. This game reached Poland through India and they took it to great heights. Poland is going to host the Kabaddi Championship for the first time. I want to wish good luck to their team," the Prime Minister said in his address.

In addition to his public endorsement of the sport in Poland, PM Modi also met the captains of the European country's men's and women's Kabaddi teams on Thursday.

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The Poland men's national team qualified for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad. Their shining moment came when they defeated then-World Champions Iran in a preliminary group match.

Over the last decade, there have been two Polish players who have graced the mats of the Pro Kabaddi League. Polish star defender Michal Spickzo was the first European to play in the Pro Kabaddi League when he was bought by the Bengaluru Bulls in 2015. He was with the team in the 2016 edition of the competition as well.

Piotr Pamulak became the second Polish player to feature in the Pro Kabaddi League after being picked up by Bengaluru Bulls in the 2023 player auction.

Meanwhile, the Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 auction saw eight players go for over INR 1 crore, a new record in PKL's history.

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