BENGALURU: Last season, fans got to meet Bengaluru Bulls’ Polish defender Michael Spiczko. This time around, the Bulls have Nicholas George Mottram, a defender from England. Dominated by football and cricket, England can hardly be associated with India’s most famous indigenous sports. But kabaddi is slowly integrating within the English community.
A student of Birmingham University, Nicholas was also largely influenced by India. He started playing the game only in September last year. Since then, he has not only excelled, but also found his way onto one of the biggest platforms, the Pro Kabaddi League. But for Nicholas, it came as a shock. “I started at the University, and was doing well in training sessions, and really enjoyed it. I got the opportunity to play starting September, so being here was quite a shock.”
Kabaddi seemed to starve from a lack of promotion before PKL began, but with the league growing stronger with each edition, it has become a global stage for promotion, and the increasing number of foreign players is testament to that. Echoing a similar thought, Nicholas said: “A few kabaddi clubs, which we see now, didn’t exist until five years back. So yes, it’s growing, and University clubs are now a good launching pad. But a similar kind of league in England will help the sport become popular.” krishnendu@newindianexpress.com