Kabaddi could become the second most popular sport in the country, says Charu Sharma, the promoter of Pro Kabaddi League, which kicked off in Mumbai on July 26. The Bangalore leg begins on Sunday.
Kabaddi has been our heritage sport and, experts say, it is in our DNA. It is also a cause for national pride, with six consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games. Not long ago, it was a big draw in the districts. Today, there is a fervent plea to bring the crowds back. The Pro Kabaddi League could be the answer to these prayers.
“The league is indeed a boost to the game and the players will stand to gain,” is the chorus, but how much it will develop and whether it will regain its glory is something time will tell.
C. Honappa, the first kabaddi Arjuna awardee and a gold medallist at the Asian Games in Bangkok, applauded the Pro Kabaddi League organisers and franchisees, but is apprehensive about the development of the game.
‘Only readymade players will gain’“These teams will look at readymade players. It’s the accomplished players who continue to make money. What about the talent in rural areas and the districts? Today, with no recruitment for kabaddi players, how will they get exposure? The focus should be on the grassroots. Corporates should be focussing on the under-15 and under-18 categories if India needs to remain at the top in the sport,” Honnappa says.
The ace former India captain won one Asian Games, two SAF Games and three Asian Championship gold medals and is ever grateful for the stature he has achieved, thanks to the game.
“There are hardly any Karnataka players in this League. That is a sad commentary,” he adds. “By having major kabaddi leagues in cities, one cannot attract urban players to the sport. We have to take it to the villages and rural areas, where true talent is available,” he adds.
P. Gopalappa, who led India in all four of his internationals from 1979 to ’82, including the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, wonders about the development and stability of the sport. “How is this Pro Kabaddi League helping the game in the State? There were at least 50 private clubs in the State a few decades ago. Where are the clubs now? In fact, even public sector companies are closing recruitment of kabaddi players. Who will take up this sport? The little numbers we see at the pre-university level are only to get admissions and certificates. The associations, with support from corporates, need to develop the game at all levels.”
Another stalwart from the State, Prof. M.J. Sunderam, who was sent by the Asian Kabaddi Federation to Japan and Sri Lanka in 1979 and 1982 respectively to introduce the sport in those countries, however had no comments. The former coach and international referee had no knowledge of the forthcoming League until he heard from this paper.
Apprehensions
Shashipriya, the senior-most referee in the State and an able administrator when Karnataka boasted of a rich tradition in the game, says, “The game has gone hi-tech. Rule changes and modernised facilities have taken the sport to a different level. We travelled by bus and stayed in dormitories. Today, players are flying around and staying in high quality hotels. It’s great for the game and the players, but in quest of these, the ethics attached to the sport should not be forgotten. With the sport going commercial, the fall-out could be doping and fixing creeping in. Officials and all concerned should ensure that kabaddi is free of these menaces.”
He wants the sport to be taken to the districts.
