Shabeer Sharfudheen spotted light at the end of a dark tunnel via kabaddi, as a 17-year-old in Palakkad. Coming from a state known for parents encouraging children displaying and early flair for football or passion for athletics, the peculiarity of a sport wherein players mutter ‘kabaddi, kabaddi’ leaping in and out of a cluster of rivals prowling around a rectangular field did not register in his mind.
Ten years later, the burly Kerala raider finds himself in the spotlight at the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, featuring eight city franchises and televised across the nation on a sports channel. U Mumba paid Rs 10.6 lakhs to secure Shabeer’s services at a players’ auction. He repaid the franchise for the investment by playing an influential role in three wins out of four back-to-back games, earning two ‘best attacker’ cash awards. The Mumbai franchise paid players a portion of the signing amount, the rest afterwards.
The rupees from team owner, recognition from rivals for agile mind and body as a raider, apart from friendship requests on Facebook leave him happy and hungry. “I had to be good at something to make a living, it happened to be kabaddi after an injury disrupted my schoolboy ambitions to be a long jumper. When the bidding at the auction for me stopped at Rs 10.6 lakhs, I realised my team should be winning matches. I hope to extend this form and improve my chances of getting into the squad for 2014 Asian Games.”
The U Mumbai players, coaches are housed in a five-star Hotel Orchid in Mumbai and travel to NSCI indoor stadium in luxury cars. “This is my first time as kabaddi player that we are exposed to luxury. The facilities help you perform, the atmosphere at matches amazes me, the food is difficult to digest due to the taste. My choice is home-made fish curry and rice any day,” said this son of B Sharafudheen, an auto driver staying with family in Railway Colony, Ummini, Palakkad, and struggling to make ends meet.
Circumstances at home forced Shabeer and sister Shabana to follow school coach Shanmugham’s advice and appear for kabaddi trials at Sports Authority of India, Chennai. “There were too many mouths to feed, two people less will make things easier for others at home. My fitness helped me gain selection, Shabana also got through and for the next two years, we were at SAI hostel,” said Shabeer, just cleared 12th standard, away from home and parents for the first time in his life.
Children pursue further studies in various fields after clearing high school. The Kerala lad, with kabaddi on his mind, joined Pachaiyappa’s College in Chennai for BA (History) and represented Madras University. Five years in Bhopal was the next move, honing game skills under noted Services coach E Bhaskaran. State Bank of Mysore recruited him under sports quota in Bengaluru. Shabeer’s status as a national camper since 2013 got him into the ‘A’ list for the Pro Kabaddi League auction.
U Mumba chose Shabeer to complement star raider and team skipper Anup Kumar, the home side won three PKL games and tied once to head league table. “Relatives, friends call to ask about my next game on television. I didn’t know so many people back home are watching. I will be happier when Kerala parents realise that kabaddi is a professional sport. We not only play well, like me others can earn money they only dreamt about,” said the Palakkad native, looking ahead to Eid celebrations with family.
