India and Iran won't merely be vying for the title of "world champion" on Saturday; the final will also be the culmination of a tussle over the sport's origins.
Conventional wisdom in India has it that the sport was born here in ancient times. Its roots can be found in the epics - in Nation at Play, Ronojoy Sen suggests it goes back to the Vedic age - and is said to have been invented by the Aayars or the Yadavas. It's known by different names in different parts of India - ha-du-du, hu-tu-tu - and is one of the first games any Indian child learns.
Enter Iranian captain Meraj Sheykh, though, and his take: Kabaddi originated in his hometown, Sistan, 5,000 years ago. "My hometown, Sistan, was where it was first found. Several ancient books spoke about it too. We were the original founders of the game, not India," he said.
Sheykh later pointed to Shahr-E-Sukteh, an archaeological site located in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, as the birthplace of the game.
Though Sheykh believes that Iran has history on its side, he acknowledges the Indian role. "India has popularized the game and has increased its outreach. The kind of interest the authorities have been taking in the sport is commendable and it would only help in the growth of the game that I love," he said.
India and Iran have been two of the most successful teams so far in international kabaddi. India have dominated the game ever since the first Asian Kabaddi Championship in 1980, which they won. Iran debuted at the 2004 World Cup and have since been India's closest competitors, facing them in the finals of the previous two editions of the cup.
At this tournament, Iran have won four games and lost one so far - the same as India. Another loss would mean the end of their campaign, but Sheykh is content with the way his team has grown. "For Iranian players, a lot of focus is put on training. We probably practice even more than India does. This is our game and we are more determined," he said.
Sheykh began playing kabaddi at the age of 12 and believes that he shares a lot in common with the Indian team. "Like many Indian players, I too started playing the game at a very early age. In fact, the game is very common in my native place. Almost everyone plays it over there. For me, it's all I have," he says.