Bathinda, Dec 6 (PTI) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said if the SAD-BSP alliance comes to power in Punjab in the state assembly polls early next year, it will revive Kabaddi once again by starting a Punjab Kabaddi Cup and a Kabaddi league.

The Shiromani Akali Dal president made the remarks while interacting with more than 400 Kabaddi players, including international ones, besides representatives of Kabaddi associations, all of whom announced their overwhelming support to the party, a statement said.

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Badal said he was determined to revive the sport and take it to even greater heights than those achieved under the last SAD-led government. The World Kabaddi Cup was discontinued by the Congress, he said.

"We have devised a three-pronged strategy for this," he said addressing the players along with Punjab Kabaddi Association president Sikander Singh Maluka.

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"We are committed to start a Punjab Cup which will witness teams participating from all districts in the state, vying for the top prize money of Rs one crore," he said.

Badal said that in order to take the sport to the national level, a Kabaddi league would be formed which would be run on the pattern of cricket league, with prize money of Rs 2 crore.

He also announced that the World Kabaddi Cup would be revived, carrying prize money of Rs 5 crore.

Badal said a stadium would be constructed to hold Kabaddi matches in each assembly constituency.

He also announced that Kabaddi players would be graded and they would also be covered by accident insurance of Rs 25 lakh.

He said top players would be recruited as coaches upon retirement and added that funds would be earmarked for Kabaddi associations so that new talent is identified and nurtured.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)