Haryana urged to lead the efforts to give recognition to women’s kabaddi at global level

New Delhi, December 16 2023 – Efforts have been initiated to give boost to women Kabaddi globally and Haryana has been urged to take the lead in these efforts. A delegation of ‘World Kabaddi’ alongwith Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association (HIPSA) met Chief Minister Sh Manohar Lal at Haryana Bhavan in New Delhi today. This urge was made considering Haryana as the birthplace of traditional kabaddi and often referred to as sports capital of Bharat.

The delegation of World Kabaddi consisted of Mr. Ashok Das (England), President of the World Kabaddi Organization, S.T. Arasu (Malaysia), Secretary General, and Ms Kawal Raj (England), along with Vice President Dr. Osama Said Hashem (Egypt), and Executive Committee Member Ms.Perpetual Mbutu (Kenya). On this occasion, Ms Kanthi D Suresh, President of Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association (HIPSA), Dr. D Suresh, Principal Resident Commissioner of Haryana Bhavan, and Neeraj Daftuar, former Principal OSD to CM were also present.

During the meeting with the delegation, Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal stated that his government has been actively working on initiatives like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Beti Khilao’. He commended efforts to globally recognize Haryana’s indigenous sport kabaddi. The Chief Minister mentioned that kabaddi and wrestling have been played in every village in Haryana since childhood. He encouraged HIPSA and World Kabaddi representatives to promote kabaddi nationally and internationally, assuring full support from the Haryana government. Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal expressed his passion for kabaddi, mentioning that it remains his favorite sport. He shared that during events like Raahgiri , he occasionally engages in kabaddi, inspiring others to participate. The Chief Minister conveyed that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi would be pleased to learn about the initiative to establish global recognition for women’s kabaddi, as he is also actively promoting local sports.

The delegation informed Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal that their organization is actively working in more than 50 countries worldwide. Collaborating with HIPSA, their objective is to promote kabaddi (National Style) globally and strive to include the sport in the Olympics. Currently, kabaddi is part of the Asian Games. The delegation expressed their goal of organizing the first women kabaddi (National Style) World Cup. For this, they have identified 20 countries in the first phase and plan to add 20 new countries each year. This approach aims to spread women’s kabaddi worldwide. They emphasized that sports have no language barriers.

The delegation mentioned that considering the possibility of providing a platform for global players, training camps have been contemplated to understand and learn the styles of kabaddi played in each other’s countries. Indian players, especially women, can travel to other countries, learn their kabaddi techniques, and contribute to cultural exchange. The delegation informed that since 2019, they have been celebrating World Kabaddi Day on March 24th every year, and the theme for the year 2024 is “Kabaddi Created by Men and Perfected by Women.” Efforts will be made throughout the year to popularize women’s kabaddi under this theme. This initiative aims to give global recognition to kabaddi. Mr. Das expressed the desire that March 24 May be got declared as World Kabaddi Day, in similar way as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given recognition to Yoga globally and UN declared International Yoga Day on June 21st.

Mrs. Kanthi D. Suresh, the President of HIPSA, mentioned on this occasion that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has expressed a desire to elevate kabaddi to a global level while discussing indigenous sports. According to him, local sports serve as a powerful means to connect the diaspora of Indians. She stated that India aspires to host the Olympics in 2036, and if this happens, kabaddi could be included as a part of the host country’s representation. Mrs. Suresh affirmed that HIPSA would provide complete support in spreading kabaddi globally, and if Haryana joins this initiative, it will significantly contribute to making kabaddi popular at a faster pace.