A new chapter has been added to the Indian sports world with the start of the first season of the Korfball Premier League (KPL) on 19 September at the Tyagaraja Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. It is India's first professional mixed gender korfball league. A compact franchise format has been adopted in this, the aim of which is to bring Indian and international talent on the same court. Apart from Indian players, players from more than 15 countries are participating in this league.
KPL 2026 will run till 4th of next month. In the first phase of this league with 8 franchise teams, group stage matches will be held in round robin format. 2 matches will be played every day. After this, the semi-finals will be played on 3rd October, while the final match will be played on 4th October.
Also read: Asian Games 2026: Why will the Indian team play the quarter-finals directly, what is the format?
What is Korfball game?
Korfball may look like basketball at first glance but its rules and style of play are completely different. Its biggest feature is that male and female players play together on the same team. That means mixed teams enter the competition. There must be 4 male and 4 female players in a team. This quality of Korfball makes it stand apart from other ball games. The role of both male and female players is important. Male players defend men and female players defend women.
Running with the ball or dribbling like basketball is prohibited in this game. Players advance the ball through passes. The game is mainly based on passing and positioning. To score, the ball has to be put into a basket (corf) about 3.5 meters high. Here the basket does not have a backboard like basketball. Therefore players have to aim accurately from different angles.
The easiest way to understand Korfball is to think of it as more than just a ball and basket game. In this, the success of one player also helps the other player. The ball is passed quickly, players change their positions and in a matter of seconds a simple pass creates a scoring chance.
Also read: Asian Games 2026 Medal Tally: India's entry in top-10
How did this game start?
The game of Korfball started in the year 1902 in the Netherlands. This unique game was invented by Nico Broekhuysen, a Dutch school teacher from Amsterdam. Its objective was that boys and girls should play together and gender equality should be promoted through sports. He got the inspiration to start this game from the 'Ringball' game played there during his visit to Sweden.
How popular is Korfball in India?
Korfball has a long history in India. It is being played in the country since 1979 and has reached more than 25 states till now. The popularity of Korfball has gradually increased and now with the advent of the professional league, this game is expected to get a new identity and open up better opportunities for the players.
How is India's performance?
The Indian team has won 5 medals at the international level. The team won silver in the 2008 Asian Championships after winning bronze medals in the 1992, 1998, 2002 and 2002 Asia-Oceania Championships. Let us tell you that India has also hosted the World Korfball Championship in 1995.