New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Kabaddi Federation of Poland President Michal Spiczko, holding a discussion upon the sport and ways to popularise it in the European nation. PM Modi was in Warsaw on Thursday when he held a meeting with Spiczko and the federation’s board member Anna Kalbarczyk, who had spent two years with Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) side Bengaluru Bulls in 2015 and 2016.
“Celebrating a vibrant sporting connect. In Warsaw, I met Michal Spiczko and Anna Kalbarczyk, who are noted Kabaddi players. This sport is actively followed in Poland. We discussed how to further popularise this sport in Poland, including ensuring more tournaments between Indian and Polish players,” Modi wrote in a post on “X” (formerly Twitter).
Celebrating a vibrant sporting connect.
In Warsaw, I met Michal Spiczko and Anna Kalbarczyk, who are noted Kabaddi players. This sport is actively followed in Poland. We discussed how to further popularise this sport in Poland, including ensuring more tournaments between Indian… pic.twitter.com/I1w7iBDlfE
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 22, 2024
He appreciated Spiczko and Kalbarczyk for their efforts and dedication towards promoting kabaddi on Poland and popularising the sport in Europe. The Prime Minister also highlighted the role of sports in nurturing the bilateral relations and cultural exchanges between India and Poland, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
37-year-old Spiczko was a part of the Bengaluru Bulls for two seasons and became the first European kabaddi player to appear in the PKL. He also notably featured in the Kabaddi World Cup held in 2016 in Ahmedabad as a member of the Polish national team.
Kabaddi’s rise
Kabaddi, a contact sport with deep Indian roots, has seen a global surge in popularity in the last few years, and the success of PKL has partly played a part in it. Spiczko has been a tangible link in the Indian and European kabaddi with his past participations.
The trio mulled over how to promote the sport in the country, focusing on concrete steps like organising more bilateral tournaments between Indian and Polish athletes which will further set a platform to solidify the sport’s profile within the country.
During his Poland visit, PM Narendra Modi met with ex-PKL player and the current president of Poland kabaddi Michal Spiczko in Warsaw on Thursday. Kabaddi Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
