Kabaddi gets a new life in UK jails

London: The quintessential Indian sport of kabaddi is being played with enthusiasm in British prisons to foster better relations between young inmates of different backgrounds – Asian and non-Asian.

Not many have heard of the game in Britain, but what started as a sport between prisoners of Asian origin two years ago in the Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution in County Durham, north England, is now set to catch on.

Reports from Durham say the idea to play kabaddi in prison was discussed when Asian inmates did not show much interest in playing British sports such as basketball or football.

They asked physical education officer Dave Glendinning if they could play kabaddi and he agreed. Since then several black and white inmates have also asked to join.

Glendinning told Asian Image: “Kabaddi was initially set up as a trial. But we’ll keep it going because the lads love it and it seems to be doing some good. We’ve now got lads from different backgrounds and ethnic groups coming together and working as a team, and enjoying themselves too. I think, traditionally, the raiders are meant to say 'kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi' over and over again, but the lads weren't keen on that. So we give them 15 seconds.”

Glendinning received a prize at the Prison Officer of the Year Awards in June for using the kabaddi sessions as a basis for improving race relations in Deerbolt.

Said Zain, a race relations representative in the prison who helped set the kabaddi sessions, said: “You can get into trouble with people from different areas, so you have to be careful because then that can turn into something else. So when we play, we make sure the teams are mixed up with people from all areas of the country and all ethnic groups. They work together and really get on.”

After a session, Scott, an inmate at Deerbolt, said: “I didn’t even know what kabaddi was. Playing kabaddi is great because you get to talk to some lads that you wouldn’t normally talk to. I’ll definitely play it again – I really enjoyed it.”

The game is expected to gain popularity in other British prisons, especially where a significant number of prisoners are of Asian origin.