It's not very often that the most sought after and nurtured sport in the country takes a back seat to an indigenous game like kabaddi. But if the chairman of the Bihar State Kabaddi Association (BSKA), Anjani Kumar Singh, is to be believed the latter holds the edge over cricket in the state right now.
"The state always has had a culture of kabaddi. It's surprising but people here are more a kin to it than cricket or any other sport where the glamour quotient may be higher," says Singh. "Most of the youngsters who pursue sports belong to the rural areas. They do not have sufficient funds to provide or take up some sport that requires costly equipment. Kabaddi requires nothing of the sort; it can be played anywhere. All you need is an empty ground."
With the Patna Pirates set to take centre stage at Patliputra Sports Complex here, Singh believes the Pro-Kabaddi league will provide the much-needed boost to take the game to an international platform. Singh is also happy that the players can lead a better life because of the league.
"The players have great expectations from this tournament. This is a good opportunity for them for getting noticed and get government jobs. Since most of them come from underprivileged families, it ensures much-needed financial support."
Speaking on the issue of various media organizations and celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan having acquired a stake in the league, an elated Singh said, "Earlier one had to depend on the government to get money but now with the corporate houses and celebrities eager to be a part of the development, I hope the sport will grow from strength to strength."
Having hosted the 2012 kabaddi World Cup with success, BSKA secretary Kumar Vijay, too, is optimistic that the home association will deliver again. "It will be a milestone in the realm of kabaddi in India," he said.
With each of the eight teams in the league featuring three foreign players, the secretary believes the league is the best bet to get the sport registered as an Olympic discipline. "To be an Olympic sport, the game needs to be played by at least 50 countries. At the moment, kabaddi is played in around 30 nations and with three foreign players in each of the team in the league, with a worldwide audience, we can hope to spread the game farther."
Singh, who has been a part of the Indian kabaddi contingent to China during the Asian Games in 2010, feels India has the infrastructure to do well internationally. "We are always assured of the gold in Asian Games because our players perform exceedingly well there. The country has the right infrastructure to develop the game but what the youngsters need is more exposure to the sport. District-level matches should be organized to get people's attention," said Singh.
The league, which has already seen to frenzied support in Mumbai and Kolkata, will be an even greater success in the state, he said. With women to be part of the league next year, things can only get better for kabaddi in Bihar.
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