Kabaddi coaches assert the sport will be same as before

Chennai

Touch is its heartbeat and social distancing won’t serve its purpose one bit. But, under current circumstances where staying in close proximity isn’t recommended, is there a way back to normal for kabaddi in the near future? While interacting with DT Next, decorated coaches asserted that the sport will be the same as before upon return, without drastic changes.

However, they admitted that it would take a while for kabaddi to resume in India. “We call it a veera vilayaatu in Tamil. I don’t think there is a safe way to play this sport. In the post coronavirus era, the rules won’t be any different. Only then, it will give the chills and thrills to those watching,” said Edachery Bhaskaran, titlewinner with U Mumba in Pro Kabaddi Season 2.

Former Indian national team and Tamil Thalaivas chief Kasinathan Baskaran emphasised that the players should begin with non-contact exercises once they get the nod from the government.

“The way the game is played won’t change. But, it will take some months for kabaddi competitions to restart. There are drills which can be performed while maintaining distance between athletes. For the time being, players should work on those during training sessions,” stated Baskaran, who led India to victory at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.

To avoid risk, the coaches stressed that testing should be done on a regular basis when the action does recommence. “Kabaddi is a man-to-man contact sport. We must take all precautionary measures before we step onto the mat. All involved (players, coaches, support staff, match officials etc) should be tested. If the results are negative, we can go ahead,” said BC Ramesh, the man behind Bengal Warriors’ success in PKL 7.

European football leagues have already implemented the practice, with only a minuscule number contracting the virus. “So far, no one has found out a vaccine (for COVID-19) if I am not wrong. Sportspersons have better disease resistance when compared to others. To my knowledge, none of the kabaddi players have tested positive. If at all one suffers from the coronavirus, he can be isolated from the rest of the pack,” added Baskaran.

Asked if minor alterations could be made in players’ attire in order to stay away from danger, the coaches came up with some interesting responses. “We can introduce hand gloves and skin tights for athletes on court. That way, there is very little chance of sweat or saliva getting transferred from one person to another,” Ramesh gave an idea.

While concurring with Ramesh’s point, Bhaskaran remarked that measures must be taken to protect the entire body and not just one part. “We will have to see if wearing mask is an option. But, if the player is going to use it, he will find it difficult to chant ‘kabaddi’. Only when we cover the whole body, the danger can be minimised,” he pointed out.

Although uncertainty looms over the resumption of the sport, the kabaddi fraternity is looking for ways to ‘Super Tackle’ the problems and ‘Super Raid’ the unknown enemy.