A new addition to Crusader sports brings a popular south-Asian sport to the athletic line-up.
Kabaddi, native to the Indian subcontinent and national sport of Bangladesh, is a contact team sport played by two teams of seven players each. One member of the team will cross into the opposing half of the 33-by-43 foot court and tag as many of the seven players as possible and return to their side without being tackled. Points are earned for each successful opponent tagged.
“The sport has always intrigued me, and I have been looking to get this sport played at the university for a while now.” Bryan Grasser, sports information director, said.
The university has decided to adopt most of the rules used by the World Kabaddi Federation (WKF), including 20-minute halves with an extension of 15 minutes at halftime.
There will be both a women’s and men’s team and it will be played in the fall. Some athletes already involved in sports at the university have expressed interest in playing for the Kabaddi teams in the future.
“We are struggling to gain ground in getting other schools to bring the sport into their athletic program, but we aren’t giving up yet,” Grasser said. “We will be trying to spread awareness about the sport of Kabaddi.”
The lack of popularity among Americans hasn’t helped the spread of the sport. Creating a Kabaddi team for the university will also hopefully bring awareness to the school itself.
Currently being number one in the state for Division III Kabaddi, by default, the Crusader Kabaddi team is proud to be a part of the founding team at the university.
Spence City, sophomore attackman for the men’s lacrosse team, has decided to play for the kabaddi team during the fall season, and has been named captain.
Most of the details about the addition are still being ironed-out at the moment and will be available in the fall for their inaugural season.
