Women’s kabaddi picking pace in Pakistan

Exhibition match during country’s first-ever men’s league highlights presence of female talent

KARACHI: While kabaddi is a traditionally male dominated game, Pakistan is embracing the growth of the sport for women as well.

Oh my heart. This is so fantastic, seeing wonderful young women playing a supposedly conventional sport for the first time in Pakistan 🇵🇰 and breaking all barriers. Go #WomenInKabaddi! You got this! pic.twitter.com/8lVSxlOAWT

— maryam (@maryamful) May 7, 2018

It is also the first time that the country is witnessing their first-ever Kabaddi league, despite the sport being one of the region's original, it is for the men.

And the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) secretary Muhammad Sarwar believes that having a women's match, even an exhibition one, was the need of the hour.

This game will help millions to come out of the box.
Sports will help our nation to grow. It will be grow more faster when it comes to provide equal opportunities to both men & women #WomenInKabaddi @Super_Kabaddi pic.twitter.com/uf6CM666XS

— Hamadullah Sohu (@cricsohu) May 7, 2018

And so it happened, when two teams — Strawberry Dreams and Strawberry Ambition — played an exhibition match at the Super Kabaddi League where the latter won the match 33-31 after a close fight on Tuesday evening.

https://twitter.com/laraibmufc/status/993515880402378752

"We could not have ignored it," Sarwar told The Express Tribune. "Gender equality is something that needs to be followed. Kabaddi has been a men's sport all these years, there is no doubt about that, but we have to adapt. The International Olympic Council has pushed it too, and we are following it; it is true that we never thought of a women’s match before that."

This just brimmed my heart with joy and pride. Officially my favorite #WomenInKabaddi and the power sister duo, meet Laiba Masood and Hamda Masood. SLAY GIRLS!!!

Interviewed by the star @Fay_Alif pic.twitter.com/TdMPcmAmNP

— maryam (@maryamful) May 7, 2018

Pakistan women's national team made their debut in 2013, while they also competed in South Asian Games and have had their limited international experience, but so far there has not been a league arranged for the women.

"If we have enough players for kabaddi, we can have a league in the future for women too," added Sarwar.