For decades, kabaddi has been a mainstay of Punjab’s rural life, with Punjabi youngsters playing the sport in fields and school grounds. It has been an intrinsic part of religious fairs and village festivals across the state, drawing massive crowds and eager participation.
The killings of kabaddi promoter Kanwar Digvijay Singh at a packed tournament in Mohali last month, and of former kabaddi player Gagandeep Singh on Sunday (January 4), present a different picture altogether. The sport is now a high-stakes business, with big money, betting syndicates, rival federations and gangsters all vying for a share of the pie.
Transformation into a burgeoning enterprise
Towards the late 1990s and early 2000s, organisers began offering cash prizes in the tune of lakhs of rupees, instead of traditional rewards. This presented a new opportunity for the state’s rural youth who otherwise had few job options, giving them a path to earn money quickly. Backing this change were sponsors, such as local businessmen, transporters and real estate players, who started backing individual teams.
File photo of players from Maharashtra and Bihar Kabaddi teams in action during a match. (Express archive photo by Deepak Joshi)
According to Gurmeet Chauhan, DIG (Anti-Gangster Task Force), tournaments driven by NRIs, especially in Doaba, transformed the sport. “NRIs brought big money into kabaddi in the early 2000s,” he said. Following a brief lull in 2013-14 due to the Jagdish Bhola drug racket, in which several NRI kabaddi promoters, former players, or tournament organisers were accused, Chauhan said a way around was found. “Money still flowed, now through murkier routes.”
Over the following years, the sport became even more lucrative, with growing prize money as well as vehicles such as tractors, combine harvesters and Royal Enfield motorbikes.
“If you watch carefully, you will see a lot of tractor companies sponsor the events and prizes. They are targeting the rural audience,” Chauhan said. “The best players are given tractors, SUVs. This has been going on for a very long time now.”
The Sohana tournament, cut short due to murder, offered several prizes, including a tractor and several lakh rupees for different matches, said Harpreet Singh Baba, a Kabaddi coach.
How much cash is involved in the sport today?
‘Principal’ Sarwan Singh, an expert who has authored five books on the sport over six decades, flagged the soaring budgets of tournaments today, ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 40 lakh if held in Punjab, and several times for those held abroad.“In England, a tournament can cost £100,000. In Toronto, up to $400,000 to $500,000,” he told The Indian Express.
The sport is valued at about Rs 100 crore annually, with tournament trophies alone worth Rs 10 crore, he added.
The Punjab government has also played a part, and increased its prize money substantially. In 2013, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, part of the SAD-BJP regime, announced cash awards totalling Rs 7 crore, more than any other state or federation. The then-government aimed to promote the sport amidst its battle with drugs in the state. However, these government tournaments were discontinued after the combine was voted out in 2017.
The latest edition of the Pro Kabaddi League reflects these rising costs. About Rs 37.90 crores was spent to acquire 121 players during the Season 12 auction in June 2025. The most expensive player was Mohammadreza Shadloui, acquired by Gujarat Giants for Rs 2.23 crore.
File photo of a Pro Kabaddi league match between Bengal warriors and Jaipur Pink Panthers (Express Photo by Nirmal)
With high stakes come high bets
Given the high stakes, the gambling business has grown alongside the sport. This has happened not only at the Pro Kabaddi League level but also in the unregulated rural circuits, which draw hundreds of spectators.
A police officer who prefers to remain anonymous said that several players and support staff have privately confessed that the pressure to influence match results, whether by fixing raids or team placements, has become a disturbing norm. If they refused to comply, they could face intimidation and even physical attacks. However, bets are placed online, allowing for anonymity and thus preventing any punitive action, the officer said.
Compounding the problem is the presence of several gangsters vying for dominance over the sport. Another police officer told The Indian Express that these gangsters seek to influence all aspects of a tournament’s organisation, dictating everything from the celebrity guests to the prize distribution.
“Sponsors, often industrialists and real estate developers, are coerced into funding events under threat of violence, allowing gangs to launder money legally through advertisements and promotions,” the police officer said.
Gang rivalries are another problem, with gangs like the Bambiha group and Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate, engaging in turf wars to “build their brand through fear and sensational crimes,” he added.
Kabaddi matches are typically short and unpredictable, with the game’s outcome coming down to a single raid. This makes the sport ideal for betting. A village-level kabaddi tournament lacks the constant scrutiny that is typical of a cricket match, enabling the possibility of match-fixing. The frequency of kabaddi matches, especially during the winter, and the poor financial status of the kabaddi players provide the perfect combination for influence, with players being paid to underperform or lose at key moments.
Betting can be local, cash-based and difficult to trace. Over time, betting networks have become deeply embedded in the kabaddi circuit.
No single governing body
Another major problem is the absence of a strong, unified governing body in the state. As things stand, anyone can register a federation under the Societies Act. However, these federations are not affiliated with the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), the national sports body. The AKFI is affiliated with the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), Asian Kabaddi Federation (AKF), and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.
In Punjab, multiple federations have been formed, reflecting their political or personal lines. Each federation organises its own tournaments, selects its own teams and follows its own rules. Thus, there is no standard code of conduct, no proper contracts for players and no disciplinary system. When the allegations of fixing or violence surfaced, no single authority had the power to act, allowing illegal money to flow unchecked.
Kabaddi matches are typically short and unpredictable, with the game’s outcome coming down to a single raid. (Express File Photo - Kamleshwar Singh) 
File photo of players from Maharashtra and Bihar Kabaddi teams in action during a match. (Express archive photo by Deepak Joshi)
File photo of a Pro Kabaddi league match between Bengal warriors and Jaipur Pink Panthers (Express Photo by Nirmal)
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