After wrestling, Haryana mulls Rs. 1-crore national kabaddi event
Following the success of the three-day wrestling tournament, Bharat Kesri Dangal, the state sports department will hold a similar kabaddi event in a yet to be decided location in Haryana.
Following the success of the three-day wrestling tournament, Bharat Kesri Dangal, the state sports department will hold a similar kabaddi event in a yet to be decided location in Haryana.
Haryana sports minister Anil Vij announced on Wednesday that his department will organise the first national level kabaddi tournament “in some part of the state” and like the wrestling event, the winning kabaddi team will be given Rs. 1 crore. Vij announced this on the finale of the wrestling tournament. He also announced a Bharati Kesri Dangal for women wrestlers.
Sources said on Friday that the kabaddi event is likely to be held at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon in September or October this year. As the officials in Gurgaon have experience from organising the wrestling event, they would be comfortable with a similar tournament for kabaddi.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal, who announced a 10-lane synthetic track for athletics at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, said the government wants to make Haryana a sport hub. The CM’s office will ensure that whatever schemes the sports department brings for the promotion of sports in the state are approved.
The CM said Sports and Physical Exercise Evaluation and Development (SPEED) programme has been implemented, under which, 5,000 outstanding players at the school level will be selected. He also announced the opening of 1,000 exercise venues where services of ex-servicemen, yoga trainers and former sports department trainers will be used.
Injured wrestler eyes next event
Wrestler Gurpal Singh, who was injured during a match on the final day of wrestling tournament, said he is waiting for the next year and will start practising soon. Gurpal was injured when wrestler Sumit Kumar pushed him off the mat. In an unconscious condition, Gurpal was rushed to Medanta hospital from where he was taken to his home town Jalandhar and admitted to a hospital. He was discharged on Friday.
“I sustained a strain on my neck and pressure on ribs on the backside. I became unconscious as my head hit something on the ground. I will start practice after two weeks of rest” Gurpal said.