Haryana - The hub of Kabaddi

There are places that are known for being producing some of the greatest sportspersons this world has ever seen. In India itself, the city of Mumbai is known for two of India’s greatest cricketers in Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. But when it comes to the ancient Indian sport of kabaddi, Haryana takes that particular mantle.

Kabaddi, not yet recognised as an Olympic sport, has been played at the Asian level with India dominating it at the Asian Games since it was first played at Beijing in 1990. This has strengthened its roots especially in the rural areas and the sport being known as –‘hamari maati ka khel’ is now fast gaining popularity all over the country owing to the creation of an action packed and entertaining format in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi.

With names like Manjeet Chhillar (captain of Bengaluru Bulls) and Mohit Chhillar (a defender from U Mumba) grabbing the headlines in the sports pages with their thrilling performances and breath-taking tackles, these men and other players who also come from the state of Haryana and participate in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi have put their state on the sports map of India.

While there is a need for organisation of the sport especially at the grass root level, this hasn’t affected the huge pool of talent that is unearthed every year with the allure of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi encouraging more fresh faces to join the sport. Taking one village as an example in Nizampur on the outskirts of Delhi and household names like Manjeet Chhillar, Anup Kumar (captain of U Mumba) and even Rakesh Kumar (Patna Pirates) are just a few of the many kabaddi players who can boast of being from Nizampur.

“The evenings see village elders along with the younger generation gather at the Junglee Ram Stadium to pursue their favourite pastime” says Mohit the talented corner man of U Mumba. “Every child here loves to play as there are heroes whom they can emulate with Manjeet the Asian Games gold medallist being the most popular. Incentives from the state government also started coming after Rakesh Kumar the national captain won international laurels.”

While talking in reference to how much the introduction of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has changed the lives of these young players who until a few years back, were playing the sport simply because they loved to play kabaddi, Mohit Chhillar has this to say ‘Sirjee, Kabaddise nam hota hai, apana,apane gaonka, deshka aur abhi to achche paise bhi milane lage to kyo na khele?’ (the game gives us name and fame, financial stability and we can also make our people and country proud).

This case of players doing well in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi inspiring children to pursue the sport isn’t restricted to Nizampur only. Take the case of Wazir Singh of the Puneri Paltan. He has been rated as a five star raider in the league whose round house and straight kicks send many a defender scurrying for cover. He started playing the game in his village Ponkar Kheri in Jind district of Haryana, like many others because he simply loved it. He was fortunate his talent was recognised when he got an entry to the Sports Authority of India’s Centre of Excellence at Pahalgarh.

But the influence of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi and how much his life has changed ever since he became a part of this path-breaking venture by becoming captain of Puneri Paltan, the Pune based franchise is noticed in one single statement. “The worries of looking after my family are gone now. The money and recognition that I am getting from playing in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi for these 3 months both last year and this year will take care of me and my family for the rest of my life. It is a tough job travelling, working hard to keep yourself fit and injury free, sticking to a fixed regimen and keeping a tab on your diet to maintain the weight limit.” But Wazir Singh loves it and he understands the hard work that needs to go into achieving his aim – playing for India and winning an Asian Games gold to bring honour to the nation.

Mahipal Narwal, Wazir’s teammate in Puneri Paltan, too holds such lofty ambitions because of his desire to follow in the footsteps of another decorated player in Joginder Narwal who is also nicknamed as ‘Tiger’ on the kabaddi circuit because of his penchant for his swift movement and cunning tackles on rival raiders. Rindhana in the Sonepat district can also brag of contributing bundles of young talent to Star Sports Pro Kabaddi with Rajesh Narwal and Kuldeep Singh at the heart of Jaipur Pink Panthers’ quest to defend their title in Season 2. In Bengaluru Bulls, Rakesh Narwal and Parmod Narwal are carving their own niche in the presence of stalwarts like Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Ajay Thakur which is a feat in itself. This is rooted in the daily practice of 300 odd kids from all age groups to enjoy a game in the morning and evening. The village elders present provide encouragement and advice to the future stars.

With so many experienced and young talent overflowing from the state, one wonders whether there is a special formula that is used to produce such players. While they are pure vegetarians and yet have the instincts of a predator, Wazir Singh cheekily claims “Yeh to doodh aur ghee ka kamaal hai” (It’s because of the pure milk and ghee).