COIMBATORE: It was 2005, and P Sivakumar, who runs his family’s catering business, was 29. He was assisting members of the Dravidar Kazhagam, a social reform movement, in organising a kabaddi tournament to promote the sport and the principles of Periyar E V Ramasamy among the youth. When athletes stepped onto the ground, Sivakumar’s memories slipped back to his school days of going for raids across the midline. The athletes’ cants drowned out the loud cheers from the spectators. He could sense a toe-touch coming in the way of a player, a tad bit quicker. The saccade of the eyes tells it all — tackles, struggles, holds, and the breach. Overcome with retrouvailles, he decided to take part in the tournament, which reignited his passion for the sport, one he could not pursue as a boy.
“When I moved to the higher secondary school in Bujanganur, I took the science group in Class 11. However, teachers denied me permission to play kabaddi at school, saying that it would affect my studies. I was deeply disappointed. After completing Class 12, I joined the catering business run by family,” he said. Sivakumar did not win the tournament, but determination took root in him.
Two decades later, now at 50, he is popularly known as “Thekkampatti” Sivakumar for conducting state-level kabaddi tournaments in Thekkampatti village. A native of Dodadasanoor near Karamadai, Sivakumar has played a pivotal role in the lives of many kabaddi athletes from villages dotting the foothills of the Western Ghats, such as Seeliyur, Velliangadu, Bujanganur, and Sirumugai. Along with the physical education teacher of Bujanganur school, he has been organising free kabaddi coaching for students.
In Dodadasanoor, he established a Rs 49-lakh indoor kabaddi court exclusively for female school students from economically weaker sections. Three of his students had represented the Tamil Nadu team in national tournaments.
From 2006 to 2012, Sivakumar said that he had conducted tournaments to encourage kabaddi players from the hill villages. In 2012, a “why not” pushed him to pursue coaching, beyond motivating established players. “Many school students failed to pursue higher education due to their family and financial circumstances. We decided to send them to college through the sports quota,” Sivakumar reflected.
First thing, he visited the Bujanganur Middle School, where he had studied, and selected students for whom free coaching was provided in public spaces in the village. He then brought in kabaddi professionals to offer free coaching to students at 10-day camps, held in May and December every year.
Sivakumar told TNIE, “A total of 76 students from rural areas have joined higher educational institutions through the sports quota. At present, 13 female students are studying in colleges.” In 2023, Sivakumar formed a sports trust to ensure that the work continues uninterrupted.
On an eight-cent land parcel near his house, Sivakumar has established a kabaddi academy and an indoor court for female students. At present, a 23-day kabaddi camp is ongoing, in which 30 female students are receiving sports training.
Over the years, Sivakumar’s goals have extended beyond ensuring education for students and promoting the sport. “If kabaddi is included in the Olympic Games in 2033, our students will play for India,” he said.
(Edited by Thamizhamudhan Sekar)