Kabaddi’s rising popularity in Hong Kong

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Kabaddi has long been one of India’s most popular games, and with its own professional league, ithas garnered a following in neighbouring countries as well. A notable member of this group is Hong Kong, where the efforts of two Chinese anthropologists, eight years ago, aided the adoption of kabaddi as a popular sport.

With the motivation to promote the inclusion of non-white and non-Chinese communities, Kabaddi United Hong Kong (KUHK) was founded. Initially, a university workshop, it now has a presence in 80 schools and social organizations, with more than 8000 participants. This has come as a pleasant surprise to many, including Royal Sunar, who is now a coach at KUHK, whose Nepali ethnicity includes a childhood connection with the sport.

The origin of Kabaddi can be traced back to 5000 years ago, though the location is contested with evidence of a similar sport played in various regions including Iran. Played between 2 teams, it involves individual members of a team, who must venture to the rival team, tag a player, and quickly return to their own. This has allowed many immigrant Hong Kong residents, such as Nepal-born Rojit Sharma, to integrate with the Chinese community and pick up Cantonese.

However, the overall impact of kabaddi on countering the discrimination faced by non-local residents, has been limited, and has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. An important factor has been the education system, which can unintentionally segregate the student population, where the Hong Kong Chinese have limited interaction with immigrant students. Kabaddi has contributed by providing a space where the two groups may engage and break down barriers of language and culture.

While inter-cultural integration remains elusive, the founders of KUHK are hopeful that kabaddi will play a decisive role in bridging that gap.