India women’s kabaddi team won gold twice in the Asian Games titles in 2010 and 2014 but got silver in 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, losing to Iran in the crucial final. Recently, Noida College of Physical Education (NCPE), Noida newly appointed Director Dr Anil Kumar said it as one of the worst outing in the Jakarta Asian Games, he further said “it is time for a detailed analysis and re-plan for Women’s development especially Women’s Kabaddi like Men’s Pro-Kabaddi League to regain supremacy in the Women’s Kabaddi.”
In the current Indian Women’s kabaddi ecosystem it needs to be planned and host some multinational tournament. It is high time and dire need of Women’s kabaddi League to restart women’s league like Pro-Kabaddi League for Men’s. According to NCPE, Coach cum Lecturer in Physical Education Yashoda Saini, NCPE has produced over 120 international players in women’s and men’s section.
New rules for modern Kabaddi has drastically changed the world over and those involved with traditional and Indian sports for Kabaddi. No doubt, Kabaddi first made an appearance as a competitive sports for women’s in 2010, Games Gzangzhou, Asian Games in China where NCPE’s two girls represented for India. In fact, they were the key players, one player was Vice Captain. Anita Mavi of Indian team who won the inaugural Women’s Kabaddi in Asian Games, the vice-captain of Indian team, none other than NCPE’s Kabaddi student.
Recently, the National Commission for Women (NCW) and Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani hailed the historic decision of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on equal match fees for women players as their male counterparts. Some similar step should be taken to revamp Women’s Kabaddi in the country.
Author is a Consultant of Limca Book of Records and a former Asso. Prof University of Delhi