Kabaddi, the second most popular sport in India after cricket, is making its highly anticipated debut in Australia this December. For the first time ever, Melbourne will host some of the world’s best kabaddi players in action this summer.
Get ready, because Kabaddi is coming to Australia! Tickets for the very first Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) exhibition match to be held on Australian soil is ready to purchase.
Less than two months after returning from Delhi with the promise to bring Kabaddi to Victoria, Premier Jacinta Allan joined Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos, Indian Consul General Dr Sushil Kumar, and AFL legends Campbell Brown and Josh Kennedy to announce this thrilling double-header event.
The Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid will take place at John Cain Arena on 28 December this year.
Following the conclusion of day three of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India at the MCG, fans will have the chance to cross the road and enjoy another iconic international event in Melbourne, known as the sporting capital of the world.
The action-packed double-header will kick off with a curtain-raiser featuring a team of Australian athletes taking on an Indian team of Pro Kabaddi players.
The main event will follow, with a Pro Kabaddi All Stars game, bringing together top players from two Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) teams filled with Indian superstars.
Campbell Brown, former star of the Hawthorn and Gold Coast AFL teams, will coach the Australian team, while Josh Kennedy, former captain of the Sydney Swans, will lead the Australian side as captain, alongside other AFL greats.
Tickets for the Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid go on sale at 12:00pm on 12 November. Family-friendly prices start from just $10 for children, while adult tickets begin at $55.
Kabaddi, the second most popular sport in India after cricket, is a high-energy, fast-paced contact sport where two teams of seven players battle it out by raiding the opponent’s side of the field. The aim is to tag as many defenders as possible within a 30-second raid. With matches played over 40 minutes, Kabaddi requires agility, strategy, and seamless teamwork. It’s a sport that’s thrilling to watch and will undoubtedly captivate Australian audiences.
Since its launch in 2014, the Pro Kabaddi League has become one of the fastest-growing sports leagues globally, attracting nearly 300 million viewers annually in India alone. Victoria is home to nearly 260,000 Indian-born residents, and more than 370,000 Victorians have Indian ancestry, making this event particularly significant for the local community.
Victoria is also the leading state in Australia for both visitation and expenditure from India. In the year ending June 2024, over 187,000 Indian visitors came to Victoria, spending more than $480 million, making India the state’s second-largest market for international tourism.
In addition to the Kabaddi event, Indian folk sensation Maithili Thakur will perform her debut Australian concert at Margaret Court Arena on 1 December as part of ALWAYS LIVE 2024, further enhancing Victoria’s vibrant summer of events.
Tickets for the Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid is available through Ticketmaster.
Quotes
Premier Jacinta Allan
“I’m so proud to deliver on the promise I made in India to bring Kabaddi to Victoria.”
“Walking across the road from the Boxing Day Test to the first-ever Australian Pro Kabaddi match – you can’t get better than that.”
“India’s number one and number two sports will be side-by-side in the sporting capital of the world.”
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
“The Pro Kabaddi League has one of the fastest-growing fan bases around the globe, and we know people will flock to see this one-of-a-kind event – another major event keeping our state buzzing and boosting local businesses and jobs.”
Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements
“Victoria is the top destination for Indian visitors, and it’s easy to see why – the Pro Kabaddi matches are part of a blockbuster summer of events, including Maithili Thakur at ALWAYS LIVE, Australia vs India at the Boxing Day Test, the Australian Open, and the NGV’s Summer Exhibition.”
Australian Team Coach Campbell Brown
“Kabaddi has such a long-standing history in India, and it’s a privilege to be part of the magic here in Melbourne.”
Australian Team Captain Josh Kennedy
“The energy surrounding Kabaddi is contagious, and I’m excited to represent our country on the big stage. We’ll be training hard and look forward to challenging the PKL teams in Melbourne next month.”
