Indian ambassador welcomes Iranians’ presence in Pro Kabaddi League
Rudra Gaurav Shresth, the Indian ambassador to Tehran, praised the increasing number of Iranian players in Pro Kabaddi League in his home country.
“The collaboration between Iran and India in kabaddi has been highly successful on the global stage in recent years. The sport is the second most popular one in my country after cricket and boasts a huge fan base. In this context, the presence of Iranian players is a significant development for the Indian league,” the Indian ambassador said in meeting with 20 Iranian players in Tehran before they head to India for the new league season.
“The number of Iranian players in Indian league has grown significantly in recent years, rising from just two to 20 today,” added the Indian diplomat.
“The Iranians have earned widespread praise for their performances, with Mohammadreza Shadloui becoming the most expensive kabaddi player in the world, while Fazel Atrachali has consistently ranked among the league’s top players in recent seasons.
“I’ve been collaborating with the Iranian Sports Ministry across multiple sporting disciplines. Currently, we are working to introduce Zurkhaneh (a traditional Persian sport) in India. We’ve also expanded bilateral exchanges in chess, and rowing,
“The successful partnership we’ve built in kabaddi could serve as a model for cooperation in other traditional sports. There’s also great potential for collaboration in football and cricket; I know cricket is particularly popular in southern Iran. Indian football has been making strides, and we’ve benefited from the expertise of top Iranian coaches,” added the Indian envoy.