The national sport of Bangladesh is kabaddi, which is also known as Ha-Du-Du among the locals. Bangladesh could not acquire much success in this discipline, despite having a lot of potentials. If given the proper impetus, this game could become as popular as cricket or football. India, our neighboring country, has already had great success with the introduction of a professional kabaddi league in 2014. To begin, a professional kabaddi tournament could be an excellent way to spark the interest of Bangladesh's youth. In this article, we will discuss how a Pro-Kabaddi tournament could rejuvenate Bangladesh's national sport.

The current scenario of kabaddi in Bangladesh

Let's take a look at some domestic and international kabaddi competitions, as well as the current state of kabaddi in Bangladesh.

Kabaddi is a sport in which two teams of seven players compete against each other. Kabaddi is divided into two categories. The first is the circle style (field outside), and the second is the standard style (rectangular court indoors). All of the main indoor kabaddi tournaments are currently held in the standard format. 

The Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation (BKF) hosts a number of Kabaddi tournaments, including the National Kabaddi Competition, the National Youth Kabaddi Competition, Premier Division Kabaddi, First Division Kabaddi, Second Division Kabaddi, and festival-based competitions.

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The law enforcement agencies: Bangladesh Armed Forces and Units Armed Police Battalion are the major participants in these competitions because the game takes a lot of breath and effort to play.

Despite the lack of interest in kabaddi in urban areas, ha-du-du tournaments are frequently held in rural areas during various festivals. People in remote areas would appreciate the game because it does not require any extra equipment to play. Given the game's popularity in rural areas, there's a good chance that kabaddi acceptance will grow across the country if the authorities pay attention to it.

Names like Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, and footballer Jamal Bhuyan are well-known. On the other hand, we are unfamiliar with Amir Hossain Patwari, Subimal Chandra Das, or, more recently, Masood Karim and Ahaduzzaman Munshi, all of whom are household names in Bangladesh Kabaddi.

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The world's best Kabaddi-playing countries

The Indian subcontinent and the Asian countries that surround it excel at kabaddi. The International Kabaddi Federation has 31 nations as members. The Kabaddi World Cup and Asia Cup are held on a regular basis, following the IKF's structure (International Kabaddi Federation).

Kabaddi World Cup and Asia Cup are regularly organized according to the structure of IKF (International Kabaddi Federation). Kabaddi is also a recognized sport in the Asian Games.

Despite being one of the best teams in the world, Bangladesh has never won a major kabaddi tournament. Needless to say, India has dominated all major kabaddi tournaments most of the time. Beating India in the final, Iran won the most recent Asian Games for the first time.

Except for the 2018 Asian Games, India has won gold in each of the past six Asian Games. India has also won the World Cup in each of the last five editions.

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Bangladesh's noteworthy Kabaddi accomplishments include two Asian Championships runner-up finishes (1970, 1989), three Asian Games silver medalists (1990, 1994, 2002), and two World Cup third-place finishes (2004, 2006).

In the last ten years, the national Kabaddi team of Bangladesh could not achieve any significant success. They didn't even participate in the Kabaddi World Cups in 2010 and 2011. In the 2016 World Cup, Bangladesh was eliminated from the group stage.

Bangladesh national team during 2016 world Cup

Leaving Bangladesh behind, teams like Iran, South Korea, and Thailand are steadily climbing the rankings. The general public in this country is losing interest in the game of kabaddi because of the enormous popularity of world football and Bangladesh cricket's recent success.

How a professional Kabaddi tournament will help Bangladesh revive its national sport

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Kabaddi is thought to have originated thousands of years ago in India, so the people of this region have a mystical relationship with the game. Furthermore, since kabaddi is Bangladesh's national sport, the people of Bangladesh would show additional sympathy for it if it achieves notable success.

In that case, a professional kabaddi tournament might be a good idea. If the BKF can arrange a pro kabaddi tournament every year, kabaddi's popularity will skyrocket.

Youngsters who excel in sports will have the option of pursuing a career in a sport other than cricket or football, as there is the possibility of earning a good wage. Because, despite enthusiasm and talent, many people would be hesitant to participate in sports if they are not financially secure.

In that case, the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation will model itself after the Indian professional kabaddi competition. The Kabaddi Federation of India (KFI) started the pro kabaddi league in 2014, and it has since hosted six tournaments.

Surprisingly, data from recent years show that the pro kabaddi League is India's second most-watched sporting event, after cricket.

Participants in this league, both domestic and international, are paid well. A few Bangladeshi kabaddi players have also made a name for themselves in India's professional kabaddi league.

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Each edition of the Indian pro Kabaddi tournament costs around Rs 70-75 crore. Inspired by the success of a neighboring country, organizing a successful pro kabaddi tournament in Bangladesh is not impossible if the country's potential is properly presented to sponsors. The BKF's honesty and effectiveness will be crucial in this regard.

District-based kabaddi tournaments and regular talent-hunt programs must be presented in order for the pro kabaddi tournament to be a success. This effort has the potential to produce a sufficient number of high-quality players.

Kabaddi is our indigenous sport, which represents the region's culture and tradition. However, kabaddi trails cricket and football in terms of current fame.

Conclusion

In order to restore our individuality as we approach the 50th anniversary of our independence, we should pay special attention to the rural-Bangla game Ha-Du-Du. A professional kabaddi tournament may be the first step. Only then we would be able to rejuvenate Bangladesh’s national sport.