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Kabaddi World Cup
Rs 2 crore bonanza awaits winner
Mohit Khanna
Tribune News service

Ludhiana October 18
The prize money for the winner of the second kabaddi World Cup has been doubled, announced the deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here today.

The tournament winner this year will receive a cash prize of Rs two crore as against Rs one crore last year. The runners up will receive a cash prize of Rs one crore this time.

Event management company Wiz Craft has been roped in to market the tournament and organise the event, which begins on the first of November at Bathinda and which will conclude 20 days later at Ludhiana. Besides attracting more sponsors, the buzz is that the event managers have succeeded in persuading a few Bollywood stars also to grace the opening and the closing ceremonies. The names of Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif were doing the rounds when the deputy chief minister was busy reviewing arrangements at the Guru Nanak Stadium here.

Badal said that WADA stipulations would be strictly enforced in the second World Cup and that the Punjab Government was committed to weaning away youth from drugs. But ironically, as many as 20 of the 51 Indian players shortlisted after trials, are learnt to have already failed dope test.

He said that 14 countries are set to participate in the 20-day sports extravaganza. While the opening ceremony will take place at Bathinda on November 1, the closing ceremony will be held at Ludhiana on November 20. Badal said the event will be held across 15 villages and cities of Punjab.

The number of participating teams has increased to 14 and will include Pakistan, the USA, the UK, Canada, Iran, Afghanistan, Australia, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Norway, Germany and Sri Lanka.