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When the selection rounds for the Batto Green Maharashtra Kabbadi League (MKL) women’s team were held in February 2015, altogether 150 women players had turned up at six venues – Jalgaon, Nasik, Pune, Aurangabad, Sangli and Thane.
The second season of MKL, however, fetched a response that is far greater in figures as well as spirits. As many as 600 women players turned up for the selection rounds that were held in December. In the first season, each team had 10 players. In the second season, which is underway at Mhalunge Balewadi Sports Complex, each team has 15 players.
Siddharth Mehta, CEO of the League, said, “When we launched the league last year, it was the first ever league in the country for women. It was a big risk, but we received a great response, which is very encouraging.”
Datta Patrikar, chairman of Maharashtra State Kabaddi Association (MSKA), said, “Both men and women should get equal opportunity to showcase their talent in every field. While a professional kabaddi league for men has been there for a while, we needed a similar platform for women players as well, who are equally good. And hence this league was conceptualised.”
The league, which kickstarted on September 16 and will go on till October 1, is being organised by Godwit Entertainment Pvt Ltd in association with MSKA.
“The league is a great boost to state’s kabaddi players. The women players have come from 26 districts in Maharashtra, mainly from small towns and remote villages. We got to know that the during the first season of MKL, all the village panchayats would play the matches on a common television set at the village panchayat office and villagers would keenly watch the plays – both of men and women. The growing popularity was visible in the response we received in the second rounds for women,” said Patrikar.
Nineteen -year-old Pragati Musale, one of the women players, belongs to a tribal village named Kargaon in Raigad district and her father is a farmer. She has been playing kabaddi for the last four years.
“Kabaddi league for the men has been there for the last few years. Women players too deserved similar platform. I am happy that now it has been created. After completing my education, I want to join police force and there too I hope to continue playing kabaddi for the police department’s team,” said the player.
Soni Jaibhai, another kabaddi player, belongs to Chikalthana in Aurangabad. The 23-year-old shares that in her village, it is only now that the girls have started indulging in sports. She feels the recent accomplishments of Olympians Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu will further encourage parents to support their girls to pursue sports.
“Leagues like these should be organized more often for women. In the Rio Olympics, Indian women have already proved themselves. I want to make a career in kabaddi and will work towards it,” she says.
Kabaddi league for women draws a bigger response in second season | The Indian Express
The second season of MKL, however, fetched a response that is far greater in figures as well as spirits. As many as 600 women players turned up for the selection rounds that were held in December. In the first season, each team had 10 players. In the second season, which is underway at Mhalunge Balewadi Sports Complex, each team has 15 players.
Siddharth Mehta, CEO of the League, said, “When we launched the league last year, it was the first ever league in the country for women. It was a big risk, but we received a great response, which is very encouraging.”
Datta Patrikar, chairman of Maharashtra State Kabaddi Association (MSKA), said, “Both men and women should get equal opportunity to showcase their talent in every field. While a professional kabaddi league for men has been there for a while, we needed a similar platform for women players as well, who are equally good. And hence this league was conceptualised.”
The league, which kickstarted on September 16 and will go on till October 1, is being organised by Godwit Entertainment Pvt Ltd in association with MSKA.
“The league is a great boost to state’s kabaddi players. The women players have come from 26 districts in Maharashtra, mainly from small towns and remote villages. We got to know that the during the first season of MKL, all the village panchayats would play the matches on a common television set at the village panchayat office and villagers would keenly watch the plays – both of men and women. The growing popularity was visible in the response we received in the second rounds for women,” said Patrikar.
Nineteen -year-old Pragati Musale, one of the women players, belongs to a tribal village named Kargaon in Raigad district and her father is a farmer. She has been playing kabaddi for the last four years.
“Kabaddi league for the men has been there for the last few years. Women players too deserved similar platform. I am happy that now it has been created. After completing my education, I want to join police force and there too I hope to continue playing kabaddi for the police department’s team,” said the player.
Soni Jaibhai, another kabaddi player, belongs to Chikalthana in Aurangabad. The 23-year-old shares that in her village, it is only now that the girls have started indulging in sports. She feels the recent accomplishments of Olympians Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu will further encourage parents to support their girls to pursue sports.
“Leagues like these should be organized more often for women. In the Rio Olympics, Indian women have already proved themselves. I want to make a career in kabaddi and will work towards it,” she says.
Kabaddi league for women draws a bigger response in second season | The Indian Express
