The first-ever Australian Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) exhibition match will be held in Melbourne on Saturday, December 28 and some of its superfans in Melbourne’s north and west cannot wait.
For those not already in on the craze, Kabaddi is a contact sport played between two teams of seven players and traces its origins to northern India.
The sport’s main objective is to grab points by raiding into the opponent’s court and touching as many opponent players as possible without getting caught on a single breath.
Williams Landing resident Kamaldip Kahma said the sport was popular among Australia’s India diaspora.
“It’s an aggressive game – it’s a mixture of a couple of games and that’s what people want to see,” he said.
“When two bulls fight, it is like that, so that is why everyone loves it.
‘Kabaddi is in our blood.”
The gladiatorial nature of the sport may grab the attention of spectators, but the skill required should not be dismissed.
“It’s not an easy game, you need a lot of stamina, strength and even a lot of techniques as well,” Mr Kahma said.
“The hardest part is how the players have to save themselves from injuries, a lot of injuries happen in this match.”
Describing Kabaddi as “a non-stop thrill,” Werribee resident Vijay Sahora said the game has grown in popularity.
“It has grown massively – Kabaddi players are coming from everywhere.”
“Now it’s got more popularity because they are showing it on the TV, earlier they didn’t have that much reach.
Saying that he enjoyed teamwork and sportsmanship, Kuldeep Singh from Aintree showed that much of the sport’s appeal stems from the camaraderie.
The Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid will be held at John Cain Arena on December 28, following day three of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India at the MCG.
PKL was launched in 2014 and is the most popular professional kabaddi league in the world.
Jaidyn Kennedy
