HYDERABAD: Tejeswini Bai, Captain of Storm Queen
I hail from Karnataka. I was a volleyball player and I didn’t know what kabaddi was. As I watched my friends play it, I fell in love with it.I joined the club in 2002 and trained under Nagraj. I played at the national level in 2003 and bagged a prize in a one day match. Indian Railways offered me a job at Secunderabad and I got trained under Dharam Reddy. I have 14 National medals with me. My sister was into sports ,my brother was a biker. My father wanted us to focus on education rather than sports but as he realised that I was good at Kabaddi, he supported me. I played the Asian games in 2010 and 2014. I got trained under coach Neeta, an Arjun Awardee. After playing for 16 years, I won the Arjuna Award in 2011.
Neeta Dadwe, Coach of Storm Queen
I am from Nagpur and I used to play kho-kho at Dharampet Girls High School. My entry into kabaddi was accidental. My teacher chose me to play the game at a district level as there was no other girl from my school. I later played at National level for four years. When I was in Class XI, Southern Railways offered me a job but I felt I can do better than in a ‘group D’ post. I played under coach Dhanam Reddy’s guidance in the Southern Central Railway in 1987-1988. I played for the Indian Railways from 1991-2004 where I was the captain for eight years. I won the Arjun Award in 1996-1997. I got married in 2002 and stopped playing in 2004. I made a come back in 2011 as the Indian Coach for the Asian Games. I wouldn’t have come this far, if it had not been for Dhanam Reddy sir. I have a hardworking team and players, who are champions in their own way.
Mamtha Poojari, captain, Fire Birds
I am from Hermunda village in Udipi district of Karnataka. Surprisingly, I was interested in every sport but Kabaddi. My college team was once in need of a Kabaddi player when I was in Class XII. They chose me for the position. My coach recognised my talent and convinced my parents and I had to continue to play for the team. I was to stop my education after Class XII, but thanks to kabaddi, Mangalore University offered me free education under the sports quota and was asked to play kabaddi for their team.
My parents were unaware of my playing Kabaddi but when I went home with wounds, cuts and a swollen ankle, my parents would say that I had reached a marriageable age and no one would prefer a girl with wounds and cuts out of playing outdoors. Later, my coach came home and convinced my parents to let me play the sport. I got additional support from my brother. Women’s kabaddi is no different from the men’s kabaddi.We play with the same pace and passion.We get trained appropriately to handle twists,turns and falls. We get proper lessons on how to avoid injuries.
In 2003, I played for senior nationals for three consecutive years and in 2006, I represented Indian Railways and won a gold medal and have been representing the same for years now. I have won 11 international medals including Asian Games World Cup. I was the captain of the team while playing the world cup. I also won Arjuna Award.
My happiest moment was when women’s kabaddi was included in the Asian games for the first time and we got to be a part of it.We played against Iran and won the match.
To appear for the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge, we have a nutritionist who analyses our diet and advises on what to eat to get stronger. Right food and flexibility helps us avoid injuries. I have been playing this sport for 11 years now but we players are recognised by only a few.Women’s Kabaddi challenge has in a way made the sport and the players famous and respectful. Even the Pro Kabaddi Players are known to us but the way we look at them has changed now. We have become celebs now after these leagues and challenges.
Abhilasha Mhatre, Captain, Ice Divas
I am from Mumbai and started playing from seventh grade through Chembur Khela Kendra. Through this club we got to play in the locals, state levels and the nationals. I played the senior national tournament in 2006 under the guidance of my coach Suhaas. I played in the nationals for two years. I represented the Indian Railways for eight years. I have played international tournaments for five years, later Asian and World Cup. I won an Arjun Award in 2015. My practice ground was far away from where I lived. My dad would drop me and pick me up any time of the day and night. He never asked me to back out from playing the sport. He even has paper cuttings’ collection of my achievements. I work as a Sports’ Officer in the Navi Mumbai Sports’ Corporation. I bought a house with the prize money I won and my father proudly fixed a nameplate with my name on it. He is my biggest fan and has my pictures, videos and paper clippings. I got injured twice but my father and other family members still allowed me to play the game. I represented the country in an International tournament in 2006 and later in 2010. I took four years to recover after which I went back and bagged an Arjun Award.Our team mostly has juniors and they are the strength of the team. I have planned some strategies so that the new players don’t feel the pressure. Kabaddi is a sport where the players need to use their own body parts as a weapon against the opposite team members. It needs a lot of preparation,fitness and right amount of nutrition.
Banani Saha, coach of Ice Divas
I started playing after my tenth grade. I was earlier a basketball player. My coach unfortunately stopped coming due to which I had to switch to kabaddi. I started my journey in 1992-1993.My father insisted that I focus both on academics and sports rather than just play all day. I joined Calcutta Asoka Sangam and played two national tournaments from Bengal. I joined the Railways in 1997. I started playing Kabaddi wearing the kit, my mom had stitched for me. In Bengal,it was mandatory for girls to wear sarees. It took us an hour and a half to travel by train to the ground. I would trip and fall sometimes because of my saree but I still practised the sport.I had to take a couple of years off due to my knee injury.
I started representing the Indian railways continuously and played five national tournaments. In 2007, I did a diploma course in the NIS. I got my first project offer in 2008. I represented the country in Iran. I have been the coach of the Indian team from 2008. My team has girls who have played senior Nationals at the age of 18 and 19. We teach them Zumba for two hours a day so that they don’t feel bored of the mundane fitness regime.