PM Modi highlights India-Poland kabaddi connection: Exploring their shared bond

Ahead of his trip to Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Poland , becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the central European nation since Morarji Desai in 1979.

PM Modi arrived in the Polish capital of Warsaw to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. And among his talking points during his keynote in Warsaw was the sporting relations between the two countries, with kabaddi being a uniting factor.

“India and Poland 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,” PM Modi, who also met the captains of the Polish men’s and women’s kabaddi teams, said during his address in Warsaw.

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So what exactly is the connection between Poland, a nation where football remains the most popular sport, and kabaddi? Here’s more on that:

Poland’s kabaddi connection

Polish kabaddi first gained mainstream recognition in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup that took place in India. Not only did Poland’s presence in the tournament raise eyebrows of those who follow the sport, they sent shockwaves across the kabaddi community by handing Iran a stunning 25-41 defeat in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Captain Michal Spiczko as well as Piotr Pamulak played an integral role in Poland’s demolition of one of the strongest teams in international kabaddi. A year before the World Cup, Spiczko had been introduced to the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), and his experience of playing against Indian and Iranian players in that league that might have played a role in Poland’s shock victory.

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Spiczko had after all, become the first European player in Pro Kabaddi after he was picked by Bengaluru Bulls in 2015, with Pamulak joining the same team eight years later.

Spiczko who used to play American football and was introduced to the sport by General Secretary of England Kabaddi Association Ashok Das, who gave a demonstration during a visit to Poland.