Kabaddi the worst hit sport, says Sarwar

ISLAMABAD: The world may not see any kabaddi competition till a vaccine is found for Covid-19, said Rana Mohammad Sarwar, secretary of the Asian and Pakistan Kabaddi Federations, while talking to ‘The News’ here on Tuesday.

Foreseeing tough times for the full body contact sport, Sarwar said it would be almost impossible for any country to resume kabaddi activities amid Covid-19 threats.

“Kabaddi is a full body contact sport and as such total safety of players needs to be ensured to hold activities. Unless and until a vaccine is found, it is highly unlikely that kabaddi tournaments will be held anywhere in the world. I don’t see any national or international competitions being organized this year,” he said.

Sarwar said the international and Asian bodies would soon convene a conference via video link to discuss the latest position.

“We are planning to have Asian and world body meetings in the near future to ascertain how much damage kabaddi has suffered so far and what should be done to keep it to a minimum,” the official said.

He admitted that in comparison with other sports, kabaddi would suffer a lot from the coronavirus. “It is a matter of survival in hope for better times ahead. A host of international and national events had to be postponed because of the virus. We hope that the world will have a vaccine for it in the near future.”

The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation received a grant of Rs2 million from the government on Tuesday. “I am thankful to the government for realizing the situation and helping us amid the ongoing lockdown. The amount will be spent on players,” Sarwar said.