KABADDI – KABADDI’S inclusion in the third Asian Youth Games in Bahrain can have a positive impact on the kingdom’s sports-loving community.
This was highlighted yesterday by the kabaddi competition’s technical manager Jagdeep Pal Singh, who himself was a former player.
The girls’ and boys’ kabaddi programme begins today at Isa Sports City’s Hall D in Riffa, and fans are invited to watch the action and enjoy what Singh describes as “a very beautiful sport that is easy to understand”.
“Kabaddi is a very interesting game,” Singh told the GDN yesterday as they made their final preparations for today’s start of play.
“Everybody has played catch at some point in their childhood as well as other similar games – kabaddi is an opportunity to play this with some rules. It is a technical game, and there are so many ways to play.
“Kabaddi is based on strength and strategy, so people of Bahrain will love the game once they see it officially when it is broadcast during the Asian Youth Games. It is a very beautiful sport and it is easy to understand.”
Singh and other top kabaddi officials in Bahrain have been greatly encouraged by the increased interest in the sport as they prepared for the kingdom’s participation in this Asian Youth Games.
“Kabaddi is very popular in Central Asia, but many other countries from outside have expressed interest to learn about it, and right now, we are promoting this sport in the Middle East,” Singh said. “We’ve had many competitions happening in Bahrain in the past, but now, because of the Asian Youth Games platform, kabaddi is visible to everyone.
“It is a good opportunity to start with our kids, and ever since we have been getting ready for the Asian Youth Games, we have communicated with two generations – with the youngsters who were training, and with their parents who are seeing their kids playing. In this way, we are covering everyone – both generations now know about kabaddi, and we are getting much interest even from local Bahrainis who want to play this sport.”
Singh says that although Bahrain are new to kabaddi, the kingdom’s representatives at the Asian Youth Games are capable of holding their own.
“We’ve had a few practices where many officials saw our guys; and yes, we are competing for medals for the first time and the kids have been training for the first time, but they will not be easy opponents,” Singh stressed.
“We have found some tough boys, and they will be very difficult to beat. The team is ready, and they will give a good challenge.”
Five nations are set to compete for the kabaddi girls’ medals while seven are in the boys.
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