You might find a Malayali on the moon, too, they say!
Jokes apart, there is some truth to the fact that a Malayali (person from Kerala) is often hailed as a “global citizen”. According to state government agency NORKA-ROOTS data, by the end of 2023, Malayalis were present in 182 of 195 countries globally. England, in fact, had around six lakh Malayalis by 2022. No wonder that the England women’s and men’s kabaddi teams at the World Cup will have six Malayalis!
The Kabaddi World Cup is set to be played in the West Midlands from March 17 – 23. The England women’s team will be led by a Malayali, Athira Sunil, and coached by another one, Saju Mathew (the first Indian to play for the English national team). Athira, who has represented Kerala across several age groups, relocated to England six years ago in search of a better job.
The others in the women’s team are: Neeraja Unni Suma and Neelima Unni Suma (sisters from Thiruvananthapuram) and Pressymol Kalathil (Kottayam). The two Malayalis in the England men’s team are Mashood K. (Malappuram) and Abhijith Krishnan Thaivalappil (Kasaragod). All six represent the Nottingham franchise in the British Kabaddi League, which is, incidentally co-owned by coach Mathew. The women’s team recently lifted the BKL title.
Apart from the six Malayalis, England’s 14-member men’s and women’s squads will have seven Indian-origin players.
Sixteen nations, including England, will be participating in the Kabaddi World Cup 2025. In the men’s category, England have been drawn in Group A, along with Cameroon, Malaysia and Poland. In women’s, England have been clubbed with China, Poland and Tanzania in group A.
