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Palash profiles Susmita Singh, an emerging star in Kabaddi. Without support from family and friends, she is surging ahead. An exclusive for Different Truths.
India is undefeated in Kabaddi since the time it came in the international arena. But the fact is that this sport is somehow not taken care of at our country’s domestic level. Let’s take a deep insight into the level of kabaddi at the district level.
In the district of Bongaon, West Bengal, kabaddi playing girl Susmita Singh is emerging as a strong contender for the national team. She is exactly what a fighting sports girl should be. A state gold medallist in karate, she knows wrestling freestyle and MMA. Sport is a way of life for her. It teaches her to be a tough girl, with a never-dying attitude. District-level girls’ kabaddi lacks in infrastructure. But girls like her break all barriers. They play to excel.
… kabaddi playing girl Susmita Singh is emerging as a strong contender for the national team.
Susmita is an expert in tackles and raids. She is an all-rounder. She practices with girls as well as boys, regularly. According to her, playing with boys makes a girl strong and tough. As you are trying to tackle a guy, who is raiding, he dashes towards you with full force. The sheer power of the dash from a guy on a girl stopper makes you extraordinarily strong. She is also a karate expert and a wrestler. Her core strength and speed along with flexibility make her unbreakable. As a defender, she tackles and locks the opponent’s raider. Her main trick is to lock the opponent fast and make him/ her helpless so that the raider cannot escape. She aims to represent India someday in the international arena. A lone fighter, she has tackled many boys in kabaddi at the district level.
Being a raider, her favourite tackle back holds.
Being a raider, her favourite tackle back holds. Once a raider gets in the area and tries to get in for a bonus point and escape the best way is to grip the raider from the back, while the raider’s face is opposing the line. By the time the raider tries to escape and run, the defender tightens her grip and ties him up. No escape. Another tackle technique is to grab the thigh and ankle of a raider and lock in her arms and legs. The raider, irrespective of how strong he or she is if the ankle and leg are grabbed that person cannot escape. Raider needs the legs free to run. If you trap the legs how can your opponent escape? It is the most secure process to lock an opponent.
There are many examples of strong raiders helplessly struggling to escape against a weaker stopper. It is the best feeling to lock a raider and make him struggle helplessly. Another technique is to grip the raider from the knees and lift him in the air. This grip is humiliating for a raider, equally helpless, with the stopper smiling.
Susmita applies these tricks successfully. She has tackled and locked many boys, who play at the district level.
Susmita applies these tricks successfully. She has tackled and locked many boys, who play at the district level. Susmita gets her core strength from practicing wrestling and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). She has developed core strength and stamina to be a wrestler. She has the experience of wrestling boys and pinning them down. It’s very impressive.
The art of wrestling teaches discipline, stamina and gives strength not to give up and to pin down the opponent firmly. Her favourite hold is bow and arrow lock and headlock. In a bow and arrow hold more favourite in local Bengali term is nouka grip, like a boat. The victim’s leg is locked. The attacker grips the neck of the victim from behind and a leg and locks his leg. It is a secure lock. The victim is helpless and finds no way to escape.
Headlock is a technique where the neck and head of the opponent are trapped in the armpit of the attacker and the opponent is pinned to the ground.
Susmita explains how it is done. Headlock is a technique where the neck and head of the opponent are trapped in the armpit of the attacker and the opponent is pinned to the ground. While the victim tries to free his neck, the attacker pins him down. Headlock is very secure and ensures victory. The move of wrestling is to force both shoulders on the mat. Another way is to pin the opponent below his chest. That’s easy and secure. Someone who is an expert in wrestling is effective as a stopper in the girls’ kabaddi district team. She is the most valuable stopper and an all-rounder in her team. Single-handed, she traps the opponent’s raider boys and locks them. They remain helpless and struggling.
As a girl, she is a fighter who fights to achieve her dream to represent India someday. A sweet memory of her is one day a kid came and asked for her autograph as he is a fan of her defense in kabaddi, the way she locks, traps opponents in defense, making them helpless. Girls like her are an inspiration for the youth. Kabaddi is an art, in fact, any physical contact game for a girl is a challenge. Teen girls try to follow her. She leads a much-disciplined life, morning run, workout, gym. Then she practices intensely with her teammates. A talent like her would surge ahead at the national and the international levels.
Being a kabaddi girl is not easy for her. She received no support from family or friends.
Being a kabaddi girl is not easy for her. She received no support from family or friends. She is a vegetarian as well. Trapping a boy in kabaddi tackle needs strength, technique and most importantly breaking a boy’s ego of being pinned by a girl. It is a feeling of victory. However, the toughest part is handling injury. She has emerged stronger.
Photos sourced by the author and visual by Different Truths.
