Skipper makes 'favourites' claim after England men open with big win at Kabaddi World Cup

England thrashed their opponents 101-25 in the first match of the tournament at WV Active Aldersley.

Cheered on by hundreds of supporters, England and his team-mates were simply too strong for their opponents and the skipper has his sights set firmly on making history, in the first World Cup ever to be staged outside of Asia.

Lally, from Penn, said: “It was great. We got 100 points on the board, which is unheard of. The team played well, we were well disciplined.

“We are here to win and I think that performance showcased we are one of the favourites.

“We have a serious chance of making it to the finals and a serious chance of beating the holders, who are India.”

Lally is one of several West Midlands-based players representing England in the tournament, which will feature nearly 50 matches across seven days of action across the region.

England women begin their campaign on Tuesday when they face Hungary at Aldersley, with the men next taking on the USA at the Coventry Building Society Arena at Coventry Building Society Arena.

They also take on Germany and Poland at Birmingham’s Nechells Wellbeing Centre on Thursday, with Walsall Sports Campus hosting the quarter-finals on Friday before the tournament returns to Aldersley at the weekend.

The World Cup is being streamed live on BBC iPlayer and has been hailed a breakthrough moment for the 5,000-year-old sport, which is the second largest in India behind cricket. It is estimated the global audience could top more than 500 million.

Lally, a former wrestler at GNG Academy in Wednesfield, believes the home crowd can be a major advantage for his team.

He said: “It is amazing. I only live 20 minutes from here. You can play in front of your family, friends and community. Which is great.

“I started off in a solo sport. Being involved in a team sport makes it a lot more fun.

“It has everything. You have speed, strategy, skill and have to play as part of a team.”