TWO TEACHERS are set for a short break from classes after being selected to represent England in the World Cup in the tough, physical sport of kabaddi.

Ella Redhead, who teaches at Lord Street Primary in Colne, and Sally Tidswell, who is a staff member at Sir John Thursby High School in Burnley, are travelling to the Punjab in India to compete during first two weeks of December.

The pair developed an interest in the game, which involves tagging and wrestling opponents after playing rugby union together.

The two women have received “fantastic support” from staff and pupils at both the schools who are sending hundreds of football shirts and friendship bands for the Ella and Sally to distribute to Indian children Modern kabaddi, which originated and is very popular in the Indian sub-continent, is a mixture of the game played in various forms under different names.

The world’s top teams are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iran, but there has been a growing interest in the Sport in the UK, particularly in Lancashire.

The sport first received international exposure during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

During the Word Cup event, 12 teams will participate at different venues in the state.

How it's played

  • Two teams occupy opposite halves of a small field and take turns sending a "raider" to the opposite team's half.
  • The aim is to tag or wrestle members of the opposite team before returning to the home half.
  • Tagged members are "out" and temporarily sent off the field.