Kabaddi is the game where India has dominated in the Asian games since its inception in 1990. Kabaddi has been a very popular game played in rural India since olden days. The Pro Kabaddi League introduced in 2014 has made the game popular in cities too. The presentation, dress code and the standard of the game has improved a lot. It is a game requiring a lot strength, stamina and agility to raid or tackle the opponents. The urban people are coming to watch the matches and in the process have learnt about the game. The Bollywood stars have come in a big support and have played a role in popularizing the game.
In the recently concluded Asian games 2014 final the men’s team was given a tough fight by the Iran team as they were trailing in the first half but their experience came to the rescue. They won the match by 2 points in the end moments of the match. The women team had done well by defending their title which they won in 2013. The Indian women’s team won the gold medal easily at the recently concluded Asian beach games which proved their dominance in Kabaddi tournament.
The India’s men’s team has won 6 world cups in the year 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Its performances in Kabaddi had been exceptionally good until 2014. It is time that the Indian team cannot take any team lightly and must work hard to get more laurels for the country.
The Asian games is only platform to showcase their talent to the World and if this sport is included in international level like the Olympics and the Commonwealth games the team would do wonders for the country.
With the Pro Kabaddi League became so popular the Indian people know their stars. In this league the telecast of this league shows that apart from Cricket which is a craze in India, Kabaddi will surely create interest among the people in the coming days. It would be interesting to see that the franchises are mandated to include at least 2-3 foreign players in each team. The women’s team must also get benefit of similar league so that they get the motivation to play well in competitions. This would also make way for the international teams to take up Kabaddi as competitive sports and may facilitate inclusion of the game in Olympics and Commonwealth games.
