Chandigarh, Jan. 19 (IANS): Traditionally a tough, rural sport practised by 'pehlwans' in villages across the length and breadth of India, kabaddi has been flying high in recent years due to the money and glamour brought in by the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).
This new-found professionalism has certainly helped the top-level players and turned this typically 'desi' sport into a lucrative career option.
But going by a longstanding trend in Punjab, the benefits are yet to trickle down to the average athlete at the village level in the state.
Generally considered to be one of the traditional powerhouses of kabaddi in the country, players from Punjab are making news in faraway Canada for the wrong reasons.
Nearly 47 per cent of the youth going to the country in the name of participating in Kabaddi tournaments have failed to return, a confidential report of the Canadian government has pointed out.
"In 2015, 2016 and 2017, visas were issued to 261 kabaddi players. Forty seven percent of them failed to report back to the migration office in Chandigarh, 26 per cent obtained work permits after entry to Canada and 1 per cent made refugee claims," the internal report of Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (Ministry), which is with IANS, has stated.
"While the rate of return increased from 42 per cent in 2015 to 62 per cent in 2017, the rate of persons obtaining work permits unrelated to Kabaddi has also increased from 21 per cent to 30 per cent," it pointed out.
The youth are invited to Canada by kabaddi federations based there to play matches organised by the strong Indian community residing in the country.
"The rate of players who obtained work permits after entry to Canada (26 per cent) in 2015, 2016 and 2017 suggests that they intended to enter Canada primarily for long-term work unrelated to playing Kabaddi," the report said.
Selection by a Canada-based kabaddi federation for visa facilitation effectively allowed the players to circumvent the conventional examination of work permit applications at a migration office outside of Canada.
With an increasing number of youth applying for Canadian visa in the name of kabaddi, the Canadian ministry, in 2017, had invited kabaddi federations in Canada to participate in a pilot programme related to the sport.
Players and federations were informed of the requirement to report back to the migration office at the conclusion of the season in Canada in December 2017. That year, 78 kabaddi players' applications were approved for the four inviting federations. Of these, only 62 per cent reported back while 30 percent stayed back and obtained a work permit by presenting themselves with a labour market impact assessment at a land port of entry as "visa exempt" clients.
Among the four federations, according to the report, players of two federations had a rate of return of 29 per cent only. Players of the other two federations had an 88 per cent rate of return.
When contacted by IANS, officials at the national kabaddi federation refused to comment on the issue.
"The federation has nothing to do with this issue. These players go abroad on their personal initiative and at the behest of tournament organisers over there," an official said on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, rate of refusal of visa applications for Kabaddi players was as high as 65 per cent (in 2014).
Canada's Chandigarh visa office receives the vast majority of temporary resident applications from kabaddi players wishing to play in Canada.
"Kabaddi players applying through Chandigarh are typically young, single unsalaried males with limited economic prospects in their home county. Most belong to rural agricultural families with modest land holdings which may be held in common with several persons. Most applicants play for their village club which is usually supported by local patrons. It is difficult to gauge a player's skill or standing in the sport as there is no formal structure at this level," the report pointed out.
"Misrepresentation and fraudulent documentation are of concern. Fraudulent documentation, including photo-substituted evidence of applicants playing kabaddi, have been encountered among the supporting documentation submitted with applications," it added.
