Kabaddi federations of four countries, including Canada, have announced a boycott of the Punjab government's World Kabaddi Cup, scheduled for November, to protest against the incidents of sacrilege over the past one year, and failure of the state government to nab the culprits.

In addition to the boycott, it has also been announced that players, who participate in the World Kabaddi Cup, would be banned from playing in tournaments organized by federations in Europe, United States, Canada, and England.

"Also, any individual or group that decides to make a team to represent these nations at the cup in an illicit manner shall not be able to participate in any activities of the participating kabaddi federations," said a statement issued by the Canada, Europe, America, and British federations.

This statement was issued by the National Kabaddi Federation of Canada (British Columbia and Alberta); Kabaddi Federation of Ontario; California Kabaddi Federation of USA; UK Kabaddi Federation; England Kabaddi Federation of UK; Europe Kabaddi Federation, and the kabaddi federations of individual member -nations, represented by Raghbir Singh Kahal, Pinka Sekhon, and Jagga Deol.

“Due to the fact that over the last year there have been over 80 instances of beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Quran in Punjab and that there has been no action taken against the perpetrators by the Punjab government; there is a general feeling of discontent amongst Sikhs around the world. In addition the fact that the prime accused in the police firing on innocent civilians which lead to deaths of protestors at Behbal Kalan, Punjab have not been arrested although they have been identified is very disturbing.”

As such Canada, Europe, America and the British Kabaddi Federations have decided to and jointly announced a boycott of the Punjab Government sponsored World Kabaddi Cup proposed to be held in Punjab, India in November 2016”, reads the statement,

Kabaddi is thought to have originated in northern India. The modern version of the game is hugely popular and can attract millions of viewers on television. Kabaddi involves an individual player raiding the opposition team’s territory while chanting “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi” until he runs out of breath.

His opponents, who generally hold hands, try to snare him and stop him from returning to his home base.

Kabaddi World cup 2016 is organised by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Prime Minister of Punjab Government. The top prize is more than $300,000 Canadian.

It is a different tournament than the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup which concluded recently in Ahmedabad with India lifting the trophy after beating Iran.

The Badal-led 6th Kabaddi World Cup begins this week and ends on Nov. 17.

The spark for the current bout of protests and the Kabbadi boycott came after a torn-up copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib - Sikhism's holy book - was found in the village of Bargari, near Kot Kapura in Faridkot district.

The alleged desecration of the holy book angered many who came out to protest in Behbal Kalan, a nearby village.

As tempers soared, police opened fire. They say they shot in the air, but two protesters were killed and dozens of others wounded.

The killings have further angered Sikh community members who have taken to blocking highways and bridges, demanding action against those who they say desecrated the holy book.

Torn-up copies of the holy book have been found in different areas of the state - at Jandiala village in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran near Amritsar, Kot Kapura and Gurusar Jalal village in Bathinda district in the south of the state.

Police say they are investigating all the cases and claim to have some leads.

Dozens of people have been questioned and at least two people have been arrested in connection with the desecrations. Police said on 19 October that another 52 had been arrested "as a precaution".

The protesters, numbering in their hundreds, are mostly from unorganised groups although some radical Sikh organisations like the Damdami Taksal and Ajnala faction have also been seen at demonstrations, said the BBC.

The protesters are demanding that those they accuse of desecrating the holy book are arrested and compensation be paid to the families of the two men who were killed in police firing.

In some places, there have also been spontaneous protests by ordinary Sikhs who say they are fed up of eight-and-a-half years of misrule by the state government - a coalition of the regional Shiromani Akali Dal and India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party.

In some districts, farmers - who had protested earlier this month accusing the government of being anti-farmer - have also joined the protests.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, whose son is his deputy, has said there was a "deep-rooted conspiracy" to target religious places in the state by "some anti-social elements".

He has promised that anyone found guilty in "this unpardonable offence would not be spared at any cost and exemplary action would be taken against them so that it acts as a deterrent for others to indulge in such a dastardly act in future".

The Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, the opposition Congress party and the Sikh clergy have all appealed for peace.

With the protests showing no sign of dissipating, many are warning that order must be restored quickly in a state which has a troubled past.

Although Punjab has been peaceful for nearly two decades, the state was the scene of a violent insurgency for an independent Sikh homeland in the 1980s and the 1990s.

Over the last few years, the Kabbadi World Cup in Punjab has been tainted with doping scandals.

In 2011, over 50 kabaddi players were caught for doping from several different countries, including Canada, Britain, the United States, Italy, Spain, Australia, Norway, Germany, Argentina, India and Pakistan.

At the 2011 Kabaddi World Cup, 53 players from 11 countries tested positive for banned substances, including eight Canadians. Canada had to forfeit more prize money than any other nation, losing more than half of their $180,000 winnings.

In 2012 , Canadian player Varinder Singh Dhanoa was found guilty of using banned substances and was banned from the World Cup. The fine was deducted from the prize money of the Canadian team, which came in third.