Kabaddi next big thing, says Edmonton man hoping for dedicated field
'You've got all these players from around the world coming to our city ... and nobody knows that this exists'
Harman Kandola knows Edmonton is a sports town, but he's certain there's room for one more.
"A lot of people that I speak to are totally unaware that kabaddi is a sport that is played with international quality players in Edmonton," he said.
"A lot of people don't even know that you've got all these players from around the world coming to our city, showcasing their skills and beyond just that diaspora, nobody knows that this exists."
Kandola, 30, born and raised in Edmonton, grew up loving the traditional Canadian sports, but says kabaddi holds a special place in his heart.
"It was such a huge part of growing up in Edmonton for a young guy like me," he said.
"It was such a massive part of my summers, going to kabaddi tournaments and watching this sport become so professional."
Kandola hopes to talk to Edmonton city councillors about the need to build a kabaddi field for tournaments.
Somewhere between tag and red rover
Kabaddi is a traditional Indian team sport falling somewhere between tag and red rover, with a lot of wrestling thrown in.
The rules, however, are a little more complicated and the physical demands may not be for the faint of heart.
It's predominately played by men, although women's teams have emerged.
Kabaddi involves teams of seven playing on pitches of about 13 by 10 metres, divided into halves. Each team takes turns sending a "raider" from its side into the other half to try to win points.
The raider tries to tag members of the opposite team, earning a point for each one, but only if he can get back across the centre line. The defending team tries to stop and hold the raider, most often with a tackle.
In recent years kabaddi has gained legitimacy.
In Canada, Olympic wrestling gold medallist Daniel Igali spent some time playing the sport for teams from B.C.'s Lower Mainland before moving on to his international Olympic wrestling career.
India just hosted and won the 2016 World Cup of Kabaddi, where 12 teams battled.
Other large-scale tournaments are held in Canada, Japan, the United States, England and Australia.
Alberta event viewed around the world
In August, the Alberta Kabaddi Cup was hosted in north Edmonton for the fourth consecutive year.
"This was an international event, it was streamed live online, it had viewership across the world," Kandola said.
"It was promoted back in India, and promoted in other nations like England and the States and so you've got all these eyes watching us and you can't even get them into a facility that we can showcase, they're just playing in an open soccer field in the north side of Edmonton."
He feels with the city's help, kabaddi can be showcased more professionally and attract even bigger crowds.
"For us as a community, we always struggle to get facilities that would be adequate to demonstrate the sport of kabaddi," Kandola said.
Kandola wants the city to consider a field dedicated to kabaddi, able to accommodate several thousand fans. He'd also like to see financial help for hosting future tournaments.
He plans to approach city councillors and invite them to attend a kabaddi tournament next summer.
"We want to invite councillors to come out and actually enjoy what's happening," he said.