NAGOYA:
Kabaddi has its roots in ancient rural communities in South Asia and India is the superpower, but Japan has developed a niche taste for the team contact sport — thanks to a comic.
At a gymnasium on the outskirts of the port city of Nagoya, hosts Japan face another unlikely kabaddi pretender in South Korea.
A few hundred school children shout for Japan’s men in their pursuit of an Asian Games medal that would give the sport a significant boost in the country.
A Japan side who have taken time off from their jobs as teachers and food workers won 62-35 to keep their hopes just about alive on Thursday.
“There’s a manga comic in Japan called Burning Kabaddi. A lot of the Japan players started out that way, probably more than 80 percent,” captain Tetsuro Abe told AFP.
Kabaddi is a sport of speed, strength and agility played between two teams of seven players within a designated area a bit like a badminton court.
Played in separate categories for men and women, it is a combination of tag, wrestling and rugby, although there is no ball involved.
Kabaddi requires yoga-like breath control as teams send a raider into enemy territory to tag an opponent and return to safety -– all while chanting “kabaddi, kabaddi” to prove they’re not using more than one puff.
Japan’s breakthrough came in 2010 when the men won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou.
But this time the stakes are higher, knowing that a good showing at their home Games will get more eyeballs and potentially lift the sport in Japan.
“We all work (in regular jobs) and play kabaddi. We don’t get money for playing kabaddi,” said Abe following the match lasting 40 minutes.
“I get special dispensation from my company to come here.”
Royal approval
Japan were thrashed 49-24 by India earlier at the Games, but they lead the way in kabaddi in this part of the continent, winning the inaugural East Asian Men’s Championships in 2025.
This week the sport got the royal seal of approval with Prince Hisahito, the nephew of Emperor Naruhito, going to watch.
Although a novelty for many in the arena on Thursday, Japan’s kabaddi federation was established in 1981 and national and regional tournaments have been held every year since 1989.
Kumpei Tanaka was in charge of 40 children watching kabaddi for the first time thanks to free tickets given to nearby schools.
“Two weeks ago we started learning about kabaddi on YouTube, and I taught the kids that way,” he said, calling it “interesting”.
Are the children enjoying themselves?
“They are mostly chatting, but I think they’re having a nice time,” he replied.
A nine-year-old pupil chipped in: “It’s fun, a bit like playground tag we play at school.”
With Japan leading against South Korea and eight minutes left of the match, the class filed out of the arena.
It was time for lunch.
Abe said that one of the major selling points for kabaddi is that no equipment is required.
“It’s stuck as a minor sport in Japan and we want to make it more well known and attract sponsors,” he said.
“If we have a good environment to do it in, I think we will be able to beat teams like India and Iran.”
