Mumbai, Jun 11 (IANS): India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their campaign opener of the six nation Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018, starting June 22, an International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) statement announced on Monday.

The tournament, to be hosted at the Al Wasl Sports Club here, will be a 9-day action packed affair showcasing the best of Kabaddi action on Star Sports, and will witness a stiff battle among all the six participants.

Besides India and Pakistan, the four other sides in the tournament are South Korea, Iran, Argentina and Kenya.

Commenting on the tournament, IKF President Janardan Singh Gehlot said: "Kabaddi is fast becoming a renowned sport globally, and we at IKF look forward to exploring options for a comprehensive international Kabaddi calendar that is active annually, successfully pinning Kabaddi across the world map."

"Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018 is our first step in that direction and will elevate the stature of our sport considerably. We are thankful to the Dubai Sports Council as well as Star India for their strong role in making this happen," he added.

The six teams are divided into two groups of three. The teams in each group play two matches against every other team in their respective group, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.