Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Nov 21, 2025 (BSS) - The Germany women's national kabaddi team are making their debut appearance at the Women's Kabaddi World Cup, being held from November 17 to 24 at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur.

The European newcomers have lost all of their group-stage matches, but the captain, players, and team officials say they are taking the experience positively. Rather than feeling pressure, they view the tournament as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Despite the defeats, the German players have maintained cheerful spirits. Playing their first-ever international event, they are embracing the experience, something reflected in the words of Emma Luise Ettle, one of the team's key players.

Germany travelled with only nine players, although a full kabaddi squad typically has 14. Many of the players are amateurs who balance kabaddi with their studies or jobs-among them doctors, students, and office employees.

Their focus in Dhaka, Emma said, is simply on enjoying the sport. Due to rescheduled World Cup dates, several players were unable to join the team at the last moment.

The women's side itself was formed less than a year ago, and kabaddi remains amateur-level in Germany. The squad trains only in Stuttgart and Nuremberg, and there are just 30 to 40 female kabaddi players in the entire country. 

Most players practice together on weekends and are also involved in other sports such as boxing, rugby, and football. The team is currently coached by an Indian national.

Emma, a sports management student at the University of Stuttgart, described the team's approach after a recent match.

"This is the first time we have come to the World Cup, and it's our first time in any competitive tournament," she said. "It hasn't even been a year since we started learning kabaddi. We are learning a lot here, you could say even the rules of the game. We are here to enjoy kabaddi."

She added that the team knew beforehand that winning matches in Dhaka would be challenging, which is why they are focusing on enjoying the entire tournament environment.

Kabaddi is not their livelihood; they play out of passion. Even so, the players hope that professional kabaddi will eventually take root in Germany.

"We only started recently. Right now, there are 30-40 players. The game is popular in just two cities. In the future, maybe kabaddi will be practiced all over Germany. One day we hope to organise Pro Kabaddi in our country. Our girls will play, and we will all become professionals," she said.

The German players also expressed their appreciation for the warm hospitality in Bangladesh and said they hope to use the knowledge and inspiration gained from the World Cup to promote kabaddi further when they return home.