Kabaddi comes to Oldham

A CENTURIES old game that originated in India is coming to Oldham for a tournament.

Moinul Islam (35), from Chadderton, has set up the only kabaddi organisation in the North West and arranged the Oldham Kabaddi Tournament on Sunday, November 8 at Grange School, Rochdale Road.

He wants to promote the sport and get people involved in healthy activities and is looking for teams to take part.

Teams for the adult tournament consist of five players and two substitutes with junior teams having one player less.

Kabaddi is believed to be 4,000 years old is very popular in Bangladesh, where it’s the national game.

It involves two teams who occupy opposite halves of a field. They take it in turns to send a “raider” into the other half who wins points by tagging members of the opposition before trying to return to his own half uncaught - all whilst holding his breath, often demonstrated by repeatedly chanting “kabaddi”.

Tagged members or those who stray over the boundary line are out and sent off the field.

The Kabaddi Federation of India was founded in 1950 and compiled a standard set of rules.

The adults tournament starts at 10am and the junior tournament, youngsters aged 16 to 18, at 1pm.

To take part all teams must attend two hours of free coaching on the international rules of Kabaddi.

The final adult training sessions take place on Saturday (24) and Sunday (25) at either 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm or 1.30pm with youth training every day next Monday (26) to Friday (30) on the hour from 10am to 2pm. For more information call 07713 647494.