Success of Pro Kabaddi League revolutionised country sport

Despite being dubbed as 'kabaddi factory of India', Nizampur is yet to get proper infrastructure and financial support from the government,

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Kabaddi players
Kabaddi players in action at Nizampur.

He is not a cricket star. But when he found himself stranded at the Cape Town airport a few months ago, he had a celebrity moment, the kind usually reserved for a Dhoni or Tendulkar. An Indian kid identified Rakesh Kumar, also known as Kabaddi King, thousands of miles from home when he was frantically looking for help.

But behind this fame is a story full of grit and toil. Son of a farmer from Nizampur, an urban village on the outskirts of Delhi, Kumar had dreamt of playing for the country, winning medals and landing a decent government job. But the kind of celebrity treatment he enjoys now was certainly not on his mind.

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"When I approached an Indian couple to help me communicate with the airport staff after missing the flight in South Africa, their eight-year-old boy instantly recognised me and said, 'I know you! You are Rakesh Kumar, the captain of Patna Pirates team.' It was an unforgettable moment," he recalls.

It is not the story of Rakesh alone. Most kabaddi players these days are overwhelmed by their newfound celebrity status. Thanks to Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), they have become household names. Once living in oblivion, they are now stars with a decent fan following.

"Earlier, only people from my village, fellow kabaddi players and sportsmen from nearby villages knew my name. But now I am often asked to sign autographs or pose for selfies with fans," says Amit Singh Chillar of Nizampur, who is playing for Delhi Dabbang in PKL's second season.

Kabaddi capital

On the outskirts of Delhi, Nizampur appears like any other urban village. However, what sets it apart is its passion for kabaddi. The sport is a religion here. For years, it has been churning out some of the best kabaddi players of the country. Seven players from this village are currently playing for various teams in PKL.

"Some players could not get permission from their respective departments, otherwise the number would have been higher," says Kumar's father Hoshiar Singh. So how did this village become a goldmine of kabaddi champions? Some believe the soil of the local ground is blessed, while others claim Nizampur's unadulterated milk and ghee-rich diet are the mojo. However, Kumar feels that other villages gave up kabaddi for other lucrative sports, but Nizampur stuck to it and now is a cult.

Twenty-two-year-old Krishan Kumar of Panipat, who has been living and practising here for seven years, has recently been selected by CISF for employment. Like him, many youth from nearby villages come to Nizampur, hoping to secure a government job through kabaddi.

"Players from Nizampur are renowned for excellent footwork and lion jumps," says kabaddi player Swaraj Chillar, who works for Northern Railways.

Traditionally, the sport is viewed as sure shot for a job in railways, Delhi Police, DTC, CRPF, BSF and army.The roaring success of the star-studded inaugural season of PKL has added fame to the players' wish list. The boys are now practising harder, hoping to appear on the TV screen some day. "The very thought of appearing on TV is very exciting and encouraging for the kids. They know kabaddi now has name, fame and money," says Amit.

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The giant leap

The success of PKL has revolutionised this country sport. But wouldn't the commercialisation dilute the game, like in cricket? Delhi Dabbang's coach Honnappa Gowda offers a different perspective: "Kabaddi's big moment has arrived. The league has revived and raised the sport from ruins; otherwise it would have become extinct like other traditional sport such as kho-kho. What kabaddi is experiencing today, cricket got it in the 80s and 90s."

The professional league has brought seriousness to all aspects of the sport. "Standards and facilities for players have gone up. They have easy access to doctors, physiotherapist, nutritionist etc," informs Gowda. The demand for kabaddi coaches has also gone up. "Earlier, we had to request parents to send the kids to play kabaddi. But now, people from middle and upper middle class are also approaching us to help their kids become adept at the sport," Gowda says. Due to the league's large viewership, advertisers and sponsors are also queuing up.

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And the charm of the sport has enveloped the hinterland in other states too. "The PKL is changing the game's profile in Bihar," says Kumar Vijay, secretary of Bihar State Kabaddi Association.

Cities like Patna, Begusarai, Buxar and Khagaria have emerged as the hub of kabaddi players, Vijay says. In Maharashtra, the sport is on the verge of resurrection. PKL's televised matches have rekindled interest in the sport and inspired the state kabbadi association to start its own league, which has allowed talented players to make some money too.

Widely watched, the league has drawn attention of foreign players and coaches. Besides neighbours like Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, top players from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Poland, Iran, Oman and Kenya are also participating this year. "It is mandatory for each team to have at least four foreign players. It will help increase the game's popularity across the globe," says Gowda.

Back home, these international players yearn for such competitive platform. "The basics are the same, though techniques are different. Due to our light build, we are swift and fast while Indian players are better in terms of skills. I hope we too have something like PKL, which gets similar popularity and creates a great learning experience for players," says Korean kabaddi player Dong Ju Hong.

Challenges galore

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Despite being dubbed as 'kabaddi factory of India', Nizampur is yet to get proper infrastructure and financial support from the government. Though the hallowed kabaddi ground has been officially declared Junglee Ram Stadium, it is yet to get the look and feel of a proper stadium.

There is no gym, running track, practice mat or practicing facility indoors. "Younger players still practice in mud, the running tracks are broken and the ground is infested with overgrown weed," says Rakesh.

As if these challenges weren't enough, the mushrooming plywood factories around the village emit harmful smoke and chemicals. "It becomes impossible to practice in the evenings when these factories start emitting thick black smoke," says village elder Satyawan Chillar.

The epic origins

Kabaddi as a sport is said to be as old as the epic Mahabharata. According to legends, the format of kabaddi is derived from chakravyuh, a seven-tier circular defensive formation created by Dronacharya, the royal military guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas, during the Kurukshetra war. Only three people - Lord Krishna, Pandava warrior Arjun and his son Abhimanyu -were said to know how to break into this complex military cordon.

Like the seven chakras or circular rings that form a part of the defensive cordon, there are seven players in each kabaddi team with one player trying to venture into the rival territory, like the intrepid warrior Abhimanyu, hoping back and forth and tagging and grabbing at one another, all the while chanting the name of the sport aloud.

(Inputs by Giridhar Jha in Patna & Ganesh N. in Mumbai)