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Hok Kabaddi – Sports for Gender Advancement

– Sports for Gender Advancement

Our Intervention 

The Rupantaran Foundation’s Sports for Gender Advancement project, known as Hokkabaddi, encourages young girls in the Sundarbans to play Kabaddi a sport typically dominated by boys. This initiative offers girls from rural communities a chance to experience teamwork, confidence, and freedom on the field while challenging traditional gender roles. In villages where girls are often married young and confined to household duties, Hokkabaddi allows them to claim public spaces, build friendships, and reshape perceptions about what girls can achieve.

Key Components of Hokkabaddi

  1. Empowerment Through Sports: Girls, often restricted to household duties, now find time for team sports, learning self-confidence, teamwork, and resilience.
  2. Feminist Leadership Development: We create safe spaces where girls can openly discuss gender discrimination and learn about their right to access community resources, including playgrounds.
  3. Community Collaboration: Hokkabaddi encourages the girls to involve local stakeholders, from villagers to family members, fostering a supportive network around their right to play.
  4. Skill-Building and Training: Girls receive training in Kabaddi techniques, fitness, and teamwork, and are introduced to concepts of equality and empowerment through workshops and discussions.

To know more see this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcdF9rFXo70

 



Story that matters

Breaking Barriers through Sports

Suparna Mandal was born and raised in a poor family of Harinarayanpur Panchayat. From the very beginning of Kabaddi practice, their team had some heated arguments with the boys in the neighbourhood. The boys assumed that only they would play on the field. It was difficult for girls to start kabaddi practice there. They began their preparations by running early in the morning and practising kabaddi in the evening.

Suparna was injured badly while practising. Still, she played all the league matches thinking that it would be difficult for her team to win without her. The whole community including the boys cheered for them when her team got selected among the four final teams. An intense attacking game was played by the girls in the final matches. We observed that fierce Suparna was turning red in pain. The spray bottle was almost finished, but Suparna refused to leave the field. We all realized that it was just not a game for her, it was a platform to show others what a girl can do.