MANSEHRA: A festival held here on Friday to revive the traditional kabaddi game attracted a record crowd from across the Hazara division.“We didn’t expect such a huge crowd to witness...
MANSEHRA: A festival held here on Friday to revive the traditional kabaddi game attracted a record crowd from across the Hazara division.
“We didn’t expect such a huge crowd to witness the Kabaddi competition between Mansehra and Swabi teams, as this traditional game of human strength and technique has rapidly been vanishing from the sports arena in Hazara and the rest of the country,” Asim Shahzad, the president of the Kabaddi Association, told reporters.
The competitions were held at the New Balakot City ground, where people, mostly youngsters from within the district and other parts of Hazara, turned up in record numbers.Players from both Mansehra and Swabi sides demonstrated their strength and techniques, striving to reach their respective team’s safe zones set at opposite ends of the ground after slapping or tagging their rivals to score points.
Some dragged or pulled opponents to the ground, locking them in holds to prevent their escape to safe zones.Supporters of both teams loudly cheered not only for their own players but also for those who showcased extraordinary tricks and feats of power.
Farhan Khan, a member of the Kabaddi Association, said the festival was originally scheduled for Independence Day but was postponed due to the cloudburst tragedy that claimed around 400 lives across the province.
“Kabaddi has been part of our culture and tradition for centuries, once played at almost every festivity such as Eid, but its popularity has gradually declined,” he said, adding that the association had been organising such competitions for years to revive and promote the sport.Former MNA Saleh Muhammad Khan distributed trophies among the teams and players who excelled during the game.