Staff Reporter, Dhaka : A rectangular field of 10 by 12.5 meters, surrounded by spectators with intense excitement and exuberance. Seven players on each side, and suddenly one of them starts proceeding bravely towards the group on the opposite side, saying “Ha-doo-doo-doo-doo!”. Now he must touch the opponent players and return to his base before he runs out of breath. Will he triumph in this game of steady patience and smart agility, or will he be knocked out?

This traditional and exciting scene of Ha-doo-doo, a vibrant chapter of Bengal’s socio-cultural history, is hardly seen anymore. Due to having fewer and fewer playing fields and the busy life of citizens, the game of Ha-doo-doo is no longer common in contemporary scenes – be it the urban areas or rural. Kabaddi is a version of this once very popular game in the rural areas of Bangladesh.

Ha-doo-doo was recognized as the national sport of Bangladesh in 1972, after the independence of the country. In continuation of this, Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation was established in 1973. Despite the status of a national sport and the establishment of a dedicated federation, Kabaddi is not as exciting as it used to be any more, despite its immense popularity in rural areas. Skilled and professional kabaddi players are not being nurtured in the country due to various reasons, i.e.: funding and sponsorship crisis. Bangladesh is regularly participating in the kabaddi games of the Asian Games at the international level. But if one calculates the results, it will be evident that there is not much mentionable improvement. A silver medalist in kabaddi (Men’s) in 1990, 1994 and 2002 Asian Games, and a bronze medalist in 1998 and 2006 – Bangladesh did even not finish within top four in the following editions from 2010 onwards.

Cricket is generally considered to be the most popular sport in Bangladesh right now. Then there are international sports like football and tennis. Even hockey, volleyball, handball, and golf are somewhat popular in the country. As one of the main means of entertainment, sports have a special place in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh. Alongside Haa-doo-doo and kabaddi, traditional sports in the country including boat racing, stick games, boly khela etc. represent the culture and tradition of the country.

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Not only in Bangladesh, but Kabaddi is also a popular sport throughout the Indian subcontinent. Neighboring country India has recently taken several initiatives to promote regionally popular sports like kabaddi to the global stage, including hosting professional kabaddi tournaments. In 2014, India organized the ‘Pro Kabaddi League’ for the first time, which gained immense popularity like IPL and such franchise tournaments very fast. This fan-favorite tournament has been organized every year from 2014 to 2022 except for one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The tenth season of the Pro Kabaddi League is going to start from October 07 this year, with Vivo as the title sponsor. Dream11 and A23 Rummy are the associate sponsors. Parimatch News, Ultratech Cement and Jindal Panther are also proud partners of the event.

There are several positive aspects of organizing a tournament like the Pro Kabaddi League. Through this platform, Kabaddi has started to gain popularity in India once again. On the other hand, skilled Kabaddi players are emerging fast. Many young players are getting the opportunity to show their skills and techniques by participating in the competition. Inspired by its success, similar kabaddi teams and clubs are now being formed at the local level as well. Similar franchise tournament can be organized in Bangladesh as well to increase the popularity of its national sports.

Lack of sponsorship is considered as a major obstacle in organizing such tournaments in the country. However, it should be noted that the tri-national pro-boxing tournament was organized recently, which was supported by Xcel as a sponsor. If the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation can attract such sponsors, it will not be difficult to organize franchise tournaments every year.

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If the franchise tournament is organized in the country, the players will get an opportunity to come out from the district and sub-district levels. The federation will have the opportunity to select the best candidates through the competition, which will make it easier to form stronger teams to represent Bangladesh at international level. Then the image of Bangladesh will shine before the world, and we will be able to give due respect to the national game.