Thiruvananthapuram: A Malayali coach will lead a team that will be playing Kabaddi in Australia. As part of the Pro Kabaddi League’s efforts to promote the game globally, Mashal Sports will organize two exhibition matches in Melbourne on January 28, 2025.

Malayali coach E Bhaskaran will lead the training sessions. The first match will feature two teams consisting solely of Indian players.

The P.K.L. Mavericks, led by former Indian player Ajay Thakur, will take on P.K.L. Masters, led by Rakesh Kumar. Following this, an Indian All-Star team, made up of players from both teams, will face the Australian Kabaddi team. Bhaskaran will be coaching both the Mavericks and the Indian All-Star teams.

Bhaskaran emphasized that hosting a match in a country like Australia would greatly benefit the promotion of Kabaddi. The matches will be held at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne Park, which can accommodate over 8,000 spectators.

The 2032 Olympics will be hosted in Brisbane, Australia, and Bhaskaran believes that with sufficient exposure, Kabaddi could potentially be included in the event. Bhaskaran, who hails from Karivellur, Kannur, has previously coached Indian men’s and women’s teams to gold medals in the Asian Games. Under his guidance, U Mumba won the Pro Kabaddi League title as well.