KOTTAYAM: Seeing the hashtag #Velloor_WorldCup on Facebook, one may wonder which world cup game is being played in Velloor, a rural village in the Kottayam district. However, for the people of Kottayam, nadan panthu kali or native ball games are their ‘world cup’, ‘Olympics’ and many more. Native ball game, a traditional game usually played in paddy fields after the harvest, is the most exciting sporting event in the Kottayam district.
As the first season of the native ball game after the pandemic lull is heading to culmination by mid-May, playing grounds across the district have been marked with thrilling games being played in front of an electrifying audience.
Though the native ball game is a traditional game of the Kottayam district, it has spread its wings to areas where the people from Kottayam migrated and settled.
Taking the game to a ‘global’ level, the Gulf Kerala Native Ball Association organised the GCC Cup for Keralites settled in five Gulf countries last week. It is extremely rare for a local game to gain popularity in Gulf countries. The highlight of the tournament was that it was organised in association with the Bahrain Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs.
“The game has been highly popular in Kottayam district for many centuries. The Kottayam natives settled in other districts, and Gulf countries have started forming teams in their own regions. This year, we have included teams from Vandanmedu and Kambhammettu in Idukki. The game is also being played in Kollam district as well,” said E P Vinod Kumar, the secretary of Kerala Native ball Federation.
With an objective to promote and widen the popularity of the game, the Kerala Native ball Federation was formed in 2012. All the native ball tournaments are being organised under the aegis of the Federations in association with local clubs. Vinod said as many as nine tournaments have been organised this season. “Usually, the season commences by Onam and ends by May 31. The ongoing season will conclude with the final of the Federation Cup in Puthuppally by May 14,” he said.
The final of the Jerusalem Cup tournament in Vakathanam and Thalolsavam in Meenadom are the other two tournaments underway in Kottayam. For the first in the history of native ball games, the semi-finals and final match of the recently concluded tournament at Velloor was organised under the floodlit. The Federation has recognised 32 teams, including two from Idukki, which are the participants of all these tournaments.
Several villages in Kottayam, such as Pampady, Puthupally, Meenadom, Manarcad, Peroor, Manganam, Nellikal, Kurichi and Illikal, have been playing native ball with great enthusiasm for decades. In the olden days, fierce rivalries were visible everywhere.
Kerala Native ball Federation, Kottayam District Native ball Association, Puthupally Native ball Federation, Puthupally Native ball Association and other local clubs and native ball lovers are making efforts to unify the rules of the native ball games and spread it to other districts.
“We had organised coaching for the game in various areas in association with the district sports council. However, we could not continue it due to a lack of adequate funds and Covid induced restrictions. We are planning to resume the efforts. We are in an effort to organise tournaments across the state in association with Kerala Tourism department,” Vinod said.
THE GAME
The native ball game is played on a specially-marked court having 60 m in length and 25 m in breadth, which is known as the ‘vettukalam’ (serving area). Each team has seven players and is played barefoot. The ball is made of salt-dried leather. It has five innings (known as vara). The team which gains the maximum points in five innings wins the match. Taking a leaf out of the shorter version of cricket, the native ball game also introduced Twenty-20 matches by limiting the game to two innings. In each inning, there will be different types of serves. ‘Otta’ is throwing the ball and striking it using the same hand, ‘petta’ is striking the ball after throwing it with the other hand, ‘pidiyan’ will be to strike the ball by keeping one hand behind one’s back, ‘thalam’ is hitting the ball after rhythmically patting the thigh, ‘keezhu’ is which lifting one leg a little and then throw the ball from underneath.