Can Pakistan beat India at the Kabaddi World Cup?

Considering India is hosting the event, controversies are bound to follow.

The time to chant “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi” is upon us again, as the fourth Kabaddi World Cup tournament has commenced in Punjab, India, from November 30, 2013 and it will continue till December 14, 2013.

It is a known fact that players from Pakistan and India are the best in the game, as Kabaddi has been derived from this very region. These two teams are obviously going to be a huge challenge for the other international teams in the tournament.

Pakistan kabaddi player is tackled by a Scotland opponent during the 3rd Pearls World Cup Kabaddi Punjab-2012 tournament at Guru Nanak Stadium in Amritsar on December 4, 2012. Pakistan beat Scotland with a score of 61-21. Photo: AFP

Very few professional games are native to Pakistan and Kabaddi is one of them. It is the most popular game of rural Punjab and one of the main reasons for its popularity is that financially, it costs nothing.

The elders love the game. Kabaddi helps transport them to their younger years and allows them to boast about the days when they themselves were a part of the sport. However, many controversies surround the tournament this year, which can mar the essence of the game with personal motives and issues.

Photo: AFP/File

Kabaddi lovers are putting great efforts into introducing this sport internationally but there is still a long way to go, especially keeping in mind the “Dope World Cup” issue of last year. Five players from the United States team were tested positive in the dope test, rendering US’s participation in the tournament as invalid. This time, a prominent budget of Rs100crore has been allocated for dope testing and every player has to get tested.

So this time, if they want to play, then foreign players better clean up their act.

The current Pakistani team playing in the tournament is not the same team that was selected to play for the cup. Many players have boycotted the game in protest and the main reason for this is the appointment of the new coach. The players have refused to train under the leadership of the new coach – the reason which is yet to be disclosed. One of the best stoppers of the game and former Captain of the Pakistan Kabaddi team, Musharaf Janjua, is also amongst those who have protested and refused to play under the new coach.

The current world cup tournament was supposed to be a chance to show Pakistan’s potential and also to highlight the game on an international front. In my opinion, to give this chance away due to trivial animosities is really immature on the Pakistani players’ part.

The second controversy surrounding the tournament is about the host country’s bias. Considering it is India hosting the event, controversies were bound to follow, given the historical record of the two rival nations.

Many believe that the Indian government deliberately delayed the Pakistani players’ visas, resulting in the team reaching India only hours before the first match, leaving them with virtually no time to practise. This is seen by many as a trick on India’s part to sabotage Pakistan’s chances of winning.

Argentinian and Sri Lankan players tussle during the kabaddi 'World Cup' in India, which has been enveloped in a doping scandal. Photo: AFP

Last year, the Pakistani players and officials were mistreated in India during the Kabaddi tournament. This not only put a bitter taste in the mouths of the players, it has also made people question the credibility of the host country. The Pakistan team manager was attacked and beaten by the US team players but no action was taken regarding this.

This tournament has been well-organised and enormous sums of money have been invested to make sure it becomes a success. However, if it keeps brewing amidst rumours and controversies, the game will lose its international spectators, and all these efforts to establish this game as a genuine international sport will go down the drain.

19 of the Indian kabbadi players have tested positive for doping just weeks before the world cup. Photo: AFP

While this sport has managed to incite a sense of thrill in its audience and viewers rejoice with the very thought of their favourite players indulging in this game of skill and tact, it is very important to make sure it builds towards something bigger.

This game, of individual offence and collective defence, requires a committed and unbiased international federation that could accentuate its fame across the world, and work as a catalyst for its journey towards the Olympics.

To maintain the thrill surrounding Kabaddi, it is important that its value is recognised and established globally.