The news was confirmed as the eight-team British Kabaddi League (BKL) was launched here today.

Birmingham will also submit a bid for the 2023 European Championships.

Ahmedabad in India held the last Kabaddi World Cup in 2016, with the event normally taking place every four years.

It was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're in a strong position because we believe in Wolverhampton," said Prem Singh, the chief executive of British Kabaddi, to insidethegames.

"It would be a huge thing as the audience would be close to 700 or 800 million worldwide.

"That's more than most major sports so it's a big thing.

"If we can do anything to bring the 2024 Kabaddi World Cup to Wolverhampton, you will see us bend over backwards to make it happen."

The BKL will only feature men's teams in its inaugural season but Singh said a women's league would launch in 2023.

It is also hoped that the men's league will increase to 12 teams while a university competition and a schools development initiative are also planned.

The league has been established by the English and Scottish Kabaddi Associations, with support from the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) - the region's economic development agency.

It has been supported by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme, which aims to capitalise on the Games to create long-term economic legacy in the West Midlands and the rest of Britain.

This will bolster trade and tourism links across the Commonwealth nations, it is hoped, while the WMGC is working towards attracting major sporting events to the region.

"We believe that a natural partner for us is the West Midlands Growth Company," Singh added.