Chandigarh: Since its inception in 2019, the World Kabaddi Day is celebrated every year on March 24. The day celebrates the vision of the sports for the future and honours the people who put the sport on the international map. It celebrates the founders, the players, the coaches, the administrators, the technical staff and all important stakeholders associated with Kabaddi. Last year, the World Kabaddi day was celebrated by HIPSA in Egypt.
This year the World Kabaddi day is being celebrated in India at Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium, Panchkula, Haryana. HIPSA (Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association), along with World Kabaddi, are jointly organizing this year’s event. An MOU was recently signed between HIPSA and the Government of Haryana, for the promotion of Kabaddi, globally. This is one of the main reasons to choose India as a venue, Haryana in particular, for the event.
The World Kabaddi day celebration is aiming at a unique event this year, something that hasn't been attempted before, a Guinness World Record attempt for ‘Most players in a Kabaddi exhibition match’. While Guinness has set the record benchmark for 84 players, the organizers have challenged an attempt for 154 players to qualify the attempt. The attempt begins at 11 am on March 24, in the presence of adjudicators from the Guinness team, and if successful, India would see a World record in Kabaddi before the end of the day on March 24, 2024.
When asked on why 154 participants in particular were chosen for the attempt, Ms. Kanthi D Suresh, President HIPSA said, “It was more symbolic as two teams with 77 players each would be attempting this feat, and the number 77 also marks our 77th year of Independence, and it would get registered in the golden pages of history,”.
The technical rules for the Guinness Record attempt have been designed together by the Guinness team and members of World Kabaddi. Most of the rules are the standardized that are followed the World over except for rules regarding the time of the match and number of substitutions allowed in a standard match. Experienced witnesses and referees are some of the mandatory requirements laid down by the Guinness World Records team. 7 players each side on the pitch will be allowed at any given time.
Foreign delegates from different member countries of World Kabaddi would be marking their presence at the event. Two teams, Team Arjuna and Team Abhimanyu, named significantly depicting the mythological origin of the sport of Kabaddi, shall be vying for the attempt, said Dr. Ashok Das, President World Kabaddi, one of the organizers of the event, along with HIPSA.
The Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya is expected to be gracing the show. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support for Kabaddi has been instrumental in elevating the sport's profile both nationally and internationally. His advocacy for indigenous sports and promotion of healthy lifestyles have contributed to Kabaddi's continued growth and popularity. If the sport is successful in its World Record attempt, it would act as a catalyst to spread the Sport across different Continents, with a hope of its inclusion at the Summer Olympics, where India has officially indicated its keenness to host the Olympics in the year 2036.
For a Sport to be included at the Olympics, it needs to be actively played in 75 countries for men and 45 countries for Women, spread across different continents. HIPSA shall be rolling out a Global Women’s Kabaddi league as an annual feature and the first season is being held in the month of July in India with Women participants from more than 15 countries of the World, across different continents, with an increased country representation each year from every continent.
Breaking a Guinness World Record requires dedication, preparation, and perseverance. The ‘Officially Amazing’ slogan is associated with Guinness World Records. It serves as a tagline for Guinness World Records, highlighting the incredible and extraordinary achievements recognized by the organization. Once the Kabaddi World Record is broken successfully on March 24, an ‘Officially Amazing’ certificate shall be handed over by the Guinness adjudicators present at the event. The proof of the event will also be available online through a video format on the GWR website.