Voyage of Ashok Das: The 'Kabaddi Daddy' who took the sport beyond India

Modified Aug 26, 2018 14:23 IST

When Birmingham witnessed Kabaddi for the first time

The promotional poster printed on Air India magazine.

The history reads that National Kabaddi Association (NKA) formed in 1992 to promote both forms of the game (circular and rectangular). Ashok got married and settled in Birmingham, England. Back in 1993, Kabaddi inaugurated for the first time (U.K.) as International Kabaddi Tournament held in Birmingham from 22nd August to 30th August.

Teams such as Air India Kabaddi Team, Mahindra & Mahindra and other teams of India and Pakistan (6 teams in total) played where the U.K. players saw its demonstration. He met Arun Sawant, the then coach of Air India Kabaddi Team from where he got the spark. A spark that would revolutionize the game in all over the nations of Europe, Ashok was determined.

In collaboration with Arun Sawant, Ashok came back to India to study about Kabaddi techniques and created video documentaries on it. He created a series on 'Kabaddi History & Techniques' and diverted his knowledge to the Englishmen who adapted the game sincerely.

About the author

Vijay Sain is a freelance writer from Jaipur, Rajasthan, currently residing in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. Ever since writing his very first article in June 2018, Vijay has mostly worked on covering Kabaddi passionately to throw light on the upcoming talents and acquainting the Kabaddi admirers with a plethora of information through his articles.

In addition to covering Kabaddi, Vijay has also begun covering Cricket and Volleyball as two of the other sports which he admires. An admirer of Rahul Dravid as a cricketer and Rajasthan Royals as a team, Vijay is also a WWE enthusiast who loves AJ Styles and CM Punk.

A hobbyist in writing, the 22-year-old is also the founder and a learning entrepreneur in a jewelry-based firm - Devansh Creations. A bookish person who fell in love with mathematics during his high-school, Vijay is also passionate about cooking, traveling, and exploring new ideas every day.

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Edited by Amar Anand