After realizing again and again the difference between reality and hype of Cricket…I would like to share here a great experience of watching another sport which is indigenous and attached to our soil, still neglected by us.
A few months back I watched this beautiful indigenous game:
Event: Asian Games in Doha-Qatar.
Match: Mens- Gold Medal Final match between India and Pakistan
Location: Aspire stadium in Doha
Result: 35-23, India wins Gold, Pakitsan gets Silver
The game was a real display of skill and full of excitement.
Watching live Kabaddi at an Intenational event was much better than Cricket frustration.
Both Indian and Pakitsani Kabaddi players were showing there skills at best…First time we realized Kabaddi can be a better sport than Kirkit.
The raider named Naveen from India was a treat to watch, particularly his bold raids which used to last long in opponents area.
Equally well was Pakistani defense and a few raids from Pakistan earned applause from both side supporters.
Though India earned Gold medal, Pakistan put up a great fight!!
Since then, I sometimes think, why Indian and Pakitsani people have neglected this Sport of Kabaddi??
Is it not the Sport which has the unique flavor of our soil?
Are we doing injustice to Kabddi by not giving due credit?
Is Cricket ONLY responsible for slow death of such a wonderful sport?
^ just becoz your team is losing that means you got to abandon watching the game alltogether?. Cricket is beautiful game and I would't compare any game to it, reason why cricket become popular in subcontinent is its kind a gentlemen game with no physical contact of opponents. Imagine India playing rugby or that matter football against Aussies it ain't prettty picture, there is noway we can equal them in those games.
But you say Cricket is gentlemans game, is it still like that in modern time.
Just look back at yesterday’s match and a few incidents…Firstly Bangladeshi bowler (I guess it was Morteza) intentionally collided with Ganguly and it was very clear in replay. Later he walked away with man of The match (justified considering his performance) but is there any punishment from match referee for intentionally blocking a running batsman??
Another incident involved one Bangladeshi batsman stomping over Harbhajan(though may or may not be intentaional) but immediately Harbhajan counter-attacked by punching the batsman’s feet?? Are these signs of gentle man’s game?
My concern is that incidents like these are becoming common in Cricket and now they are considered normal, while Kirkit still remains a “gentlemans” game.
If you will consider Kabaddi though it involves physical engagement, one can consider this as a sport like wrestling? No harm if you play it like a sport, besides this is indigenous game of our soil and we should feel much more proud than British Imperial slavery of Cricket
^I can see your fascinated with kabaddi, good for you but this "British Imperial slavery of Cricket", I think it is bull. It is survival of fittest, If cricket did't had the ingredients it had, if it did't able to capture the imagination as it did, then there is noway we would have become great patrons of cricket like we are now.
On other note how come we are investing all our energy and resource in one game and we are not even good at it, what is wrong with us.
*Kyon aapne bachpan main kabaddi nahin kheli kyaa ? *
Bahut mazedaar khel hai. Thoda media hype, corporate sponsorship aur Cindy Crawford jaise brand ambassadors mil jaayen to iske aage cricket ki kyaa bisaat.
and how Pakis, Surds and Bongs will play kabaddi.
Pakis : Huzoor kabaddi, kabaddi, Janaab kabaddi kabaddi, Arz kiya hai kabaddi, kabaddiSurds: Oye main kiya kabaddi, kabaddi, teri to kabaddi kabaddiBongs: Babu Moshai koboddi, koboddi, koboddi
LOL....through a joke...your above three examples show how game of Kabaddi carries sweet smell of our soil....it's heritage of South Asia. India and Pakistan as well as Bangladesh are good in Kabaddi.
But as you said unlike Cricket there is no media coverage to this. Desis can watch something like Rugby or beach Volleyball NOT Kabaddi.
