Kabaddi, the touch sport that’s becoming a new hit with sports lovers in New Zealand. The game in recent years has caught the attention of the Kiwis and is becoming immensely popular in the country.
World Kabaddi Council on Saturday, October 6 organised the National Kabaddi Cup at the Ellerslie Sports Ground that saw five men’s and three women’s teams competing for the national title.
The five men’s teams were Australia, Bay of Plenty Tauranga, Malwa Sports Club, Punjab Kesri Sports Club and the Auckland Maori team. Each team competed with the other four teams, and Australia emerged champions defeating Malwa Sports Club in a very thrilling finale.
Picture Courtesy: Kabaddi HD Live
NZ Women’s Kabaddi, South Auckland and West Auckland teams played from the women’s side, and South Auckland team came victorious against West Auckland in the final match.
Over the past few years, the touch sports Kabaddi has become quite popular amongst the Kiwis in New Zealand with a surge in Maori players in NZ teams. The game has seen more Kiwis participating with maximum numbers of female players from the Maori community.
Kabaddi has with its origins in India and has seen multiple tournaments organised by the numerous Punjabi communities in different parts of the country, especially in Auckland, Tauranga, and Christchurch to varying intervals of the year.
Kabaddi has received global recognition and is played at major competitions such as Asia Kabaddi Cup, Kabaddi World Cup, Pro-Kabaddi League and at Asian Games where India has won all seven Gold medals since 1990.
The game is referred to as more of a strategy based contact sport quite similar to bullrush, and rugby but with no equipment.
“It is such a game where Maori players can excel in as they are quite verse in touch games like rugby,” a community member inviting more Maoris into the sport said.
Riripeti Motu has been playing for the NZ Women’s team since 2014 and envisions the sport to grow more amongst the Maori community, both men and women.
Picture Courtesy: Kabaddi HD Live
“There's been a call for more Maori to take up the challenge and they are doing just that. Former NZ touch player Conal Grant is one of many new players who has put down the ball to take part in this Indian sport,” Maori Television reported.
“I wanted to try something else because I've been involved in touch for so long, like 17 years it was my life which I loved, but it’s time to give something else a go, and I found something that suits the skills that I learnt in touch,” former touch player and current Kabaddi player Conal Grant told Maori Television.
Grant describes Kabaddi as transferable, needing a bit of footwork, with bits of netball, and as an opportunity to meet new people and also travel the world.
New Zealand Kabaddi Federation hosts its annual tournament every year with at least ten local teams participating and over 20 players and two umpires who are flown from India to experience the game on an international level. Most of these tournaments are held at different venues across the country such as Te Puke, Takanini Sports Complex under Takanini Gurudwara, Papatoetoe, in Bay of Plenty, Waikato sports grounds etc.
Picture Courtesy: Kabaddi HD Live
“The NZ Women’s Kabaddi National team is gearing up for the Women’s Kabaddi League to be held in Punjab, India from November 18 till December 5 and then for the World Championship in Malaysia in April next year.
ISSUE
Leave a Comment