Kabaddi Event Becomes Gang Target (Image Credits: Unsplash)
Stockton, California – Last fall, organizers anticipated 15,000 fans filling arenas for an international Kabaddi tournament, a showcase of the ancient Indian contact sport gaining traction among Punjabi immigrants. Threats from gangs rooted in India disrupted preparations, prompting athletes to withdraw amid fears for their safety and families. Authorities linked these incidents to broader extortion schemes targeting California’s Central Valley Sikh community, where over 250,000 Sikhs reside, the largest such population in the United States.[1][2]
Kabaddi Event Becomes Gang Target
Harsimran Singh, president of the American Kabaddi Federation, spearheaded the Stockton tournament. Players received direct calls from gangsters, many incarcerated in Indian prisons, urging them not to participate. These threats extended to potential harm against families back home.[1]
Singh attributed the pressure to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, whose leader, Jaggu Bhagwanpura, remains imprisoned in India. Despite the intimidation, the event proceeded under heavy security. Private guards and law enforcement, including the FBI, provided protection, though Singh filed no formal complaint.[2]…