From dusty grounds to snowy mountains, Kabaddi reincarnated

But for the locals of the breathtaking valley, winters represent boredom.

Right now, snow covers almost all northern parts of the region. In Kalam, persistent snow fall has resulted in over two feet of snow on the ground. Attractive as it is for visitors from down south, for residents the snow represents limitation. An obstacle to enjoying the great outdoors as they do in summers and fall. A barrier that shrinks their lives to inside their homes. Boredom, they say, is the real menace of winters, not freezing temperatures and landslides.

Three years ago, young men in the region decided to take matters into their own hands. Finding a meadow covered with snow, they decided to convert it into a sports ground. Christening it “Shahi Ground” they then contemplated what it could be used for.

And so it was that Snow Kabaddi was born.

Every January since then, the meadow in the midst of a low-land forest, right at the foot of mist cloaked hills, takes on the avatar of a sports arena, echoing with applause, reverberating with groans, alternating between earsplitting cries of delights and pin drop silence of disappointment as anywhere between six to eight teams compete with each other.

Kabaddi, a contact sport played between two teams of seven players each, is uniquely South Asian. Though not restricted to the subcontinent, its identity is interlinked with Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, where it has the distinction of being the national sport. Legend has it that the game itself is more than 4,000 years old. However, what we call Kabaddi now took shape more or less in the 20th century. The uniquely resilient game has survived the onslaught of popularity of cricket and hockey, eking out a comfortable albeit limited existence on the fringes, in dusty village grounds and small town centers.

Since the formation of a Pro Kabaddi League in India, the game has experienced a renaissance of sorts, sprouting local competitions across the region.

This year’s edition of Snow Kabbadi Championship is livelier than the previous ones. Organizers and players are more enthusiastic. Six teams from Kalam and its surrounding areas are taking part in the competition. Judging from the enthusiasm of the teams, you would not be able to tell that the temperature has dropped below freezing point. Ilyas Khan, a local player, terms the experience, “a grand one”.

“We do play in summers too but in winters, kabaddi becomes more fun. Neither do we feel the cold, nor do we get hurt when we fall onto the ground. The snow cushions our falls,” he said.

Abdul Aziz Kalami, chief organizer of the event, is a doctor. “We came up with the idea of Snow Kabaddi so that the young men of the area would have an avenue for physical exertion. With the advent of fall, life here becomes restricted; people cannot move around freely. This is quite bad for their health,” he told GNN.

He also wants Snow Kabaddi to become a winter sport. Organizers spend all expenses from their own pockets, in the hope that the Championship event becomes big enough to attract the attention of the government.

“If the government supports us, we can turn this into a national sport. And bring in more tourists to the area, just for this event alone,” Dr. Abdul Aziz said.

For now, the sport is limited to just Swat. Judging by the enthusiasm of the players, they would be happy with or without patronage.

By Swat Reporter: Shehzad Naveed