We all know, Cricket fever has overshadowed every other game and sport. Indians eat, live, sleep, talk and walk cricket. Theoretically, we all know that Hockey is our National Game but in practical vision it’s Cricket maniac all over.
We don’t know much about Kabaddi, also.
Meanwhile, India’s Favourite Sports Strategist, Hirav Shah Predicts – Don’t ignore Hockey, Kabaddi (Indian Origin Games)….You May See A Huge Come Back In 2023.
Table of Contents
History of Hockey and Kabaddy
Happyim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
India has been the land of many globally renowned inventions such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Zero etc. The country’s inventions are not just limited to arts, crafts, cuisines and science and culture but sports too. You will be surprised to know many of the modern games / sports which are flourishing in other nations, had their beginnings in India. Hockey & Kabaddi also took birth in our Great Country.
Why Hockey Got Ignored
Very few people remember that- In 1928, the Indian National Hockey Team won its first Olympic gold medal and until 1960, the Indian men’s team remained unbeaten in the Olympics, winning six gold medals in a row.
The team had a 30–0 winning streak during this time, from their first game until losing in the 1960 gold medal final. India also won the World Cup in 1975. India’s hockey team is the most successful team ever in the Olympics, having won eight gold medals. India emerged as champions at the games in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980.
India also has the best overall performance in Olympic history with 77 victories out of the 126 matches played. They have also scored the most goals in the Olympics than any other team. They are also the only team to ever win the Olympics without conceding a single goal in 1928 and 1956. Nobody remembers these, sadly…
Hockey was the most popular sport and we were dominant champions in the 30s, 40s,50s, 60s.But it slipped steadily. Even till the 80s, it had a good fan base. But poor results along with the federation’s failure to market it properly and make stars out of hockey players, ensured it was no longer in public consciousness.
Also while we were dominant, there was also no proper system in place. It was love for the game, talent & brilliance of the players. But there wasn’t money in it, to be a lucrative career option. Having tasted so much success, still a player could not ensure his family’s well being. So, all these reasons accumulated and contributed to hockey’s decline in popularity in public except in traditional pockets such as Punjab etc…where it is a way of life.
Children saw adults play it and they picked it up themselves. But, the commercial aspects or future weren’t that encouraging. So the rot continued and those governing the sport were inadequate, had no interest or plan or strategy to make the game bigger and address the major concerns. With time, the public too stopped caring as the medals dried up…
Why Kabaddi Got Ignored
DiplomatTesterMan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Well, nobody knows- Who is being labelled as the “God of Kabaddi”.
Well, this man Anup Kumar has captained the Indian national team and made our Nation win gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.
Are we aware?
No and a Big No…
Do we know who is the first Kabaddi player to hit the 1,000 points mark, also, who got us the gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games?
Pardeep Narwal is the champ !!
Have we heard ?
No.
The most surprising part is that- Kabaddi was being played in the Berlin Olympics 1936 as a demonstration which helped enhance its international exposure, but could not be a part of the games…
The lack of a professional Kabaddi association and league hampers the sport’s chances of being part of the Olympics. So, if our Country properly invests in making it a professional sport, then Kabaddi can put forth their name for consideration. The Olympics, which showcases the fittest athletes in the world, would be a richer competition if the brawn and swiftness of Kabaddi players is added to it.
Hockey Comeback In 2023
With exactly a year and a half to go, Hockey India and the Odisha government are gearing up to host the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup. In 2023, India will host the competition for a record fourth time since its inception in 1971.
The tournament is slated to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29, 2023.
World-class infrastructure at both venues will enable India to once again deliver a successful and memorable tournament and leave behind a valuable and lasting legacy.
The 2023 World Cup being hosted in India holds great significance since the country will be completing 75 years of independence that year.
The host federation Hockey India did not want to miss out on the opportunity to showcase the growth of the sport in the country in this landmark year and give the country another reason to celebrate 75 years of independence.
There is a tremendous possibility that the Indian Hockey team makes a huge comeback in 2023, Predicts Hirav Shah.
Kabaddi Comeback In 2023
With the launch of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014, a venture backed by regional media behemoth Star Sports, the once provincial and quaint pastime has been souped up with stylishly marketed franchises, celebrity owners, revamped rules and pumped full of cash to the tune of almost 300 million viewers in almost 100 countries.
A big part of what makes Kabaddi appealing to new fans is the sheer simplicity of the game. Sides are broken down into raiders and blockers. To score a point, a raider must enter opposition territory, tag an opponent with any part of his body, and make it back into his side’s safety zone without being tackled to the ground. If he is caught, he is temporarily eliminated from proceedings and his team drops a point.
It’s simple. It’s visceral. And it’s fun. Even if you don’t understand the finer details, you can enjoy the raw physicality of a team-based, contact sport with no ball and few rules.
Brimming with ambition and potential, the Indian sport-and-media complex is looking to establish world-class domestic institutions after the overwhelming success of the IPL. The PKL in Kabaddi was founded in 2014 looking to replicate the IPL model.
Kabaddi, however, presents a unique situation as the Indian-led IKF has taken on the mantle of spreading the sport – in its own image – to the rest of the globe. And although the Indian team’s victory and the longevity of the Kabaddi World Cup are as yet uncertain, one thing that is for sure is that the world is finally watching.
Kabaddi has already been included in the Asian Games and now, our Country needs to ensure that the sport is included in the Olympics as well. And to achieve that goal, the standard of the game needs to be improved and also, the game needs to be propagated across geographical locations in India and the rest of the world.
Who knows, India might rule the world in Kabaddi, in 2023…Says Influential Sports Strategist, Astrologer & Advisor, Hirav Shah.
Final Thoughts
India’s Top Sports Astro-Strategist Hirav Shah Concludes – All great things are preceded by chaos. If all these years, Indian origin sports had to suffer chaos and disappointment, then 2023 will bring in the most positive developments and a huge “bounce back” for them, especially for Hockey and Kabaddi.
Photo Credit
Fars News Agency, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
