BBC Marathi
BBCMeena is searching for the time when she can move while her eyes dart from left to right and back suddenly.
She is a participant in Kabaddi, an American contact sports that is currently practiced in more than 50 nations.
A Kabaddi game is played between two teams, each with seven people. Individuals can then hurl themselves into the opposing’s half of the field to mark their opponents and return to their own quarter without being ground-tied.
But for 14-year-old Meena, this is about more than winning positions. The game offers an escape from a restricted, remote living and opens up a world of possibilities.
” It feels diverse when I play”, she says awkwardly, struggling to find the words. ” In that time, I am not the Meena who is bound to laundry, weighed down by pressure and expectations. It’s just me and the player … It feels like I am more powerful than other women who don’t play”.
Meena lives on the fringes of a tiny ethnic community, Kudoshi, about 230km apart from India’s financial capital, Mumbai, where women ‘ life usually revolve around household chores, marriage and children.
But 15 years ago, a group of faculty at the village university decided they wanted to give girls more options.
” I have a child. I want her to accomplish things in life, live the best career she is, be something”, says one of them, Daji Rajguru. Why didn’t women enjoy Kabaddi and make a career out of it?
So he and his associates, who had played Kabaddi when they were younger, thought it would be great to teach native women how to sing. The pooled their discounts- 5, 000 pounds ($ 60, £50 )- persuaded the class to let them use its premises, and opened what they believe was the state’s second all-girls Kabaddi team.
At the start, only two women, who were children at the university, joined up. Kids were unwilling to let their daughters practice Kabaddi because it required a lot of downtime, he claims. They also expressed concern about the effect it might have on their daughter’s chances of getting married, as standard families would not approve of girls leaving soon.
Daji and his team members went door to door to let kids know their daughters may be protected using Kabaddi in Kabaddi both before and after school. They assured them that they would properly manage the women and never allow them to be swayed by boys.
The professors would get the girls up from their homes and cut them off at first, but as the numbers increased, they were no longer able to do that. Today, there are about 30 women in the league and they estimate that about 300 have trained with them since they began training, including Daji’s individual child. Some begin playing when they are seven years old.
Meena railways for two days before class begins and two hours after the end of the team, like the rest of the team members. She has to leave home at sunrise and doesn’t get up until night.
” I go alone and it’s dark]in the morning ]. I once worried that someone might be able to harm me. My family was no sympathetic then, and are still angry with my decision to become a sportswoman”, she says.
But she is persistent, inspired by team members who have won numerous awards over the years and have since joined status teams or regional leagues. Samreen Burandkar and Siddhi Chalke were two of the first members of the first group of girls to spend about eight years of training at the pub. Then, at the age of 25, they are expert group players and are financially independent.
Their parents were unsatisfied when the women decided to pursue Kabaddi, believing that it would be a phase that may go. Although their families are glad that the ladies are doing well, they are still under a lot of pressure to get married.
” No-one in my family earns as much as I do”, says Samreen. I presently reside in a large area and have the freedom to make my own decisions. Coming from my society, it’s hard for women to go after what they want. I am simply here because of Kabaddi”, she says.
Siddhi and Samreen are teammates; their companionship was born out of Kabaddi. They have travelled around India for tournaments, winning awards and tournaments. ” I could only do that because of Kabaddi. Then, I would have been married and ended up at my father’s place washing the dishes”, says Siddhi and they both laugh, apparently relieved that they have escaped this destiny.
In addition, playing sports well in India may help people find employment in the public market. High-achieving athletes are given jobs in American states, guaranteeing an income also after a person’s active wearing times are over.
Some rural girls pursue game with the aim of achieving financial independence through these professions. They may also benefit from greater esteem and identity-building.
” When we started the sports team, no-one gave any value to these women. They were always extra people in their houses, in society”, says Vilas Bendre, a fresh manager at the pub.
” But we realised that when rural girls climb ahead in their lives through sports, their lives change significantly. The way they talk, the way they carry themselves, their lifestyle, everything changes”.
Many members of the club have witnessed their confidence grow and have persuaded their families to let them pursue higher education and delay marriage until they are older, even if they haven’t become professional athletes.
The community has become more accepting too, and when they see girls exercising, people don’t frown at them any more.
The coaches provide funding for the club, along with occasional donations and cash prizes that the team receives in competitions. The majority of the girls don’t have to pay any subscription fees because they come from poor, underprivileged families.
The club also provides food like eggs, bananas, and milk, and frequently pays for player injuries treatment at the hospital during the summer, in addition to training during term time.
Over time, parents ‘ fears have been assuaged, but critics sometimes question the coaches ‘ motives. ” People say things indirectly like.’ Why don’t you coach boys?'” says Daji. However, he claims that there are already opportunities for boys and that there is still room for improvement for girls.
” We are not just their coaches”, adds Vilas. ” At times we are their parents, guiding them, disciplining them, helping them make the right choice”.
And Meena knows the potential of this prized opportunity:” I want to be the best raider and become the captain of India’s Kabaddi team”, she says, daring to dream about medals, championships and leaving an ordinary village girl’s life behind.