How is a kabaddi club changing girls’ lives in India
BBCMeena’s eyes dart from left to right and again, when she can take her step, the fleeting is looking for a moment.
She is playing Kabdi, an Indian contact game that is now played in more than 50 countries around the world.
A kabaddi game is played between two teams, each of which has seven players. Individuals turn to escape into the pitch in half of the opposition to tag opponents and return it to half of it without dealing on the ground.
But for 14 -year -old Meena, it is more than the winning points. The game offers to run away from a restricted, rural life and opens the world of opportunities.
“It seems different when I play,” she says shy, struggling to find words. “At that moment, I am not Meena who is obliged to homework, weighed with pressure and expectations. It is just more rival. It seems that I am more powerful than other girls who do not play . “
Meena lives on the outskirts of Kudoshi, a small tribal village, about 230 km from Mumbai, the financial capital of India, where girls’ lives traditionally revolve around household chores, marriages and children.
But 15 years ago, a group of teachers at village school decided that they wanted to give girls more opportunities.
“I have a daughter. I want to achieve things in life, she lives the best life, she can be something,” one of them, says Daji Rajguru. “Girls cannot play kabaddi and make a career from it?”
So he and his colleagues, who played the role of Kabdi when they were young, thought it would be nice to teach local girls how to play. Their savings – Rs 5,000 ($ 60; £ 50) – persuaded the school to use its base, and opened them to which they believe that the region’s first All -Garles Kabdi Club.
Initially, only two girls, who were students in school, attended. He says, “Parents were not ready to play their girls because it meant to spend a lot of time from home,” he says. “They are also concerned about their daughter’s impact on the possibilities of marriage,” as traditional family will not approve girls to go out and come home late.
Daji and his associates went to the door, assuring the parents, their daughters will play the role of kabaddi in training sessions before and after school. They assured them that they would take care of girls properly and would not allow them to be distracted by boys.
Initially, teachers raised the girls from their homes and left them, but as the number increased, they were no longer able to do so. Now, there are about 30 girls in the club and they guess that around 300 have trained with them as they started coaching, including Daji’s own daughter. At the age of seven, youth start playing.
Like the rest of the club members, Meena trained two hours before school and two hours after the end of classes. He has to leave home in the morning and does not return till night.
She says, “I go alone and it’s dark.
But she is constantly making, inspired by club members who have excelled for years and have joined the state teams or local leagues. Siddhi Chalke and Samreen Burandkar were in the first batch of girls who trained in the club for almost eight years. Now, at the age of 25, he is a professional league player and is financially independent.
Initially, their families thought that Kabdi’s game was a phase that would be near, and when women decided to make a career, their parents were not happy. There is still pressure for them to get married, but at the same time their families are proud that women are doing well.
“No one in my family earns as much as I do,” says Samreen. “I now live in a big city and meet to make my choice. Coming from my community, it is difficult for girls to go after what they want. I am only because of Kabdi,” she says that she says .
Siddhi plays in the same team in the form of a samine – their friendship was born with Kabadi. He has traveled to India to win medals and championships for competitions. Siddhi and both of them laugh and say, “I could only be because of kabaddi.
Excellent performance in sports in India can help players to get jobs in public sector. Indians allocate jobs for higher recipients in sports, guarantee an income even after years of an active game of a player.
Many rural girls play with the dream of getting financial freedom through these jobs. It can also help them achieve more respect and sense of identity.
Vilas Bendre, a young coach of the club, says, “When we started a sports club, no one gave any importance to these girls. They were always secondary citizens in their homes, society.”
“But we realized that when rural girls move forward in their lives through sports, their life changes a lot. The way they talk, the way they talk themselves, their lifestyle, everything change Are.”
Even if they do not become professional sportswoman, many members of the club have seen their confidence growing and persuaded their families to go to university and delay marriage until they are not bigger Used to be done
The community has also become more acceptable, and when they see girls exercising, people do not get stuck on them in any way.
The club is funded by coaches, cash prizes that wins in team competitions and topical donations. Most girls are from poor and disadvantaged families and do not have to pay any membership fee.
Along with training in term time, club gives residential sports camps and funds in the school in summer, providing foods such as eggs, bananas and milk, and often pays for treatment for players’ injuries.
Over time, the fear of the parents has been assimilated, but critics sometimes question the objectives of the coaches. “People say talk indirectly.” Why don’t you coach boys? ” But he says that there are already opportunities for boys, and there is a difference for girls.
“We are not just his coaches,” says Vilas. “Many times we are their parents, guide them, disciplines them, help them to make the right choice.”
And Meena knows the ability of this precious opportunity: “I want to be the best raider and want to be the captain of India’s Kabdi team,” she says, dreams, dreams, dreams about the championship and a simple village girl Dare to leave life behind.
