Indian women's kabaddi set for major boost as three-team league kicks off on Tuesday

Mumbai: Three teams – Fire Birds, Ice Divas and Storm Queens – on Monday will be vying for honours in the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge starting on Tuesday.

An initiative by the AKFI in association with Mashal Sports, the challenge will reveal three teams – Fire Birds captained by Mamtha Poojari, Ice Divas captained by Abhilasha Mhatre and Storm Queens captained by Tejeswini Bai.

The first match will be played today at the DOME SVP, National Sports Club of India in Mumbai with the finals set to be hosted alongside the Men’s Pro Kabaddi Finals on 31 July at Hyderabad.

Janardan Singh Gehlot, President, International Kabaddi Federation said, “With Star Sports Pro Kabaddi carving a niche in the sports arena, we felt the need to create the same opportunity for our talented women kabaddi players.

“We have handpicked best of the players across regions to form these three teams who will be part of the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge. This initiative will bring tremendous benefit not only to women’s kabaddi but to the way overall women’s sport in India.

" A number of contenders in the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge have won several accolades and have already proved themselves in the international arena.

Tejeswini Bai of Storm Queens, Abhilasha Mhatre of Ice Divas and Mamtha Poojari of Fire Birds are all Arjuna awardees. The caliber of these Indian women Kabaddi players can be gauged by the fact that India has won all Golds at the Asian Games since 2006.

“This a big opportunity for women. After the Arjuna award, I became known only at the district and state, but because of ‘Women’s Kabaddi Challenge’, we will reach in all households. I have for the first time got opportunity to captain the side and will use all my experience for the team,” Abhilasha told PTI.

“The strength of my team are youngsters and we will focus on our unity. We will try to perform our best,” she said. Mamtha, also an Arjuna Awardee, said: “On Tuesday it will a new step for Kabaddi players. All the matches held till now – national, state or international,or representing India, was a different thing, Tuesday’s (event) step is a different one for us (players).”

“The coaches have changed our mentality. Earlier we used to play on women’s court. We are so prepared now that we will not be able to recognize which ground (court) it is, we are just playing, this is the kind of mentality they have created in our minds,” she added.

“My team has (both) youngsters and experienced players. I have everything in my team (and) we will do our best,” she added.

Tejaswini said, “It is a moment of happiness that we have got this platform. Like the (Men’s) Pro Kabaddi was a success, this will also be a success. My team comprises all youngsters, juniors and I am (only) the experienced player. We have a good team with strong offence and defense.”

The three coaches – Padmaja of Fire Birds, Banani Saha of Ice Divas and Neeta Dadwe of Storm Queens – thanked AKFI and Mashal Sports for the support and belief in the future of women’s kabaddi in India.

Women Kabaddi Challenge will be played across multiple cities – Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jaipur and Pune starting from 28 June. Women’s Kabaddi Challenge will be televised LIVE on Star Sports 2 & Star Sports HD 2 in English, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD 3 in Hindi, Maa Movies in Telugu; on Star Gold in Hindi and Suvarna Plus in Kannada and on Star’s Digital platform, hotstar from 9:00 pm onwards.