Previously on the “Kabaddi series”: "Kabaddi…Kabaddi…Kabaddi…" How did this Indian sport land in Taiwan?
"There was none; I am the first Kabaddi player of Taiwan," says 蔡威暘 (David) when he was asked whether any role model for him for playing Kabaddi? "I am in Kabaddi because of my brother [蔡威暘 (David)]," says 蔡謹韓 (Henry). This is the story of the "Tsai Brothers," or I prefer to call them "Kabaddi Brothers."
David is currently the Head Coach for the National Women's Kabaddi team, and he was the Captain of the Men's Kabaddi team earlier. David had also coached the National Women's Team to its glory when they won the Asian Bronze Medal in 2018. His brother Henry, was also a player in the Men's team and currently mostly coaching and being a referee for Kabaddi games.
The brothers, who were born in Taiwan but grew up in Belize in most of their childhood, moved back to Taiwan post their high school life and restarted their life in the college of Taiwan at the University of Taipei (UT). Following the guidance of Mr. Huang Chung-jeng, the director of the Kabaddi Association in Taiwan, this article will focus on the experiences of the two brothers who have been supportive to each other and continue to support the Kabaddi game in Taiwan since its inception
Early day experiences
Looking back into old memories, both brothers shared their thoughts about getting introduced into the game and navigating through the reverse cultural differences they faced in Taiwan. David shared his early days, "I used my basketball skills first to join UT, where I met Mr. Huang; he asked us if anyone wanted to play Kabaddi? I joined the team because I thought it was a good opportunity to be part of a new game, and me being the first one will give me more opportunities."
Henry, who also followed his brother's footsteps into UT, said, "At first I thought it (Kabaddi) was a food or a dance, and I had no idea what it was, honestly. The word itself was exotic to me. I got into the team due to the peer pressure from my brother. When I first started playing it, I would not say I liked it. Once, there was a last-minute vacancy in the national team, and seeing the opportunity, my brother asked me to try out, which is how I got in. It gave me a quick chance to go to Malaysia for the Junior Asian Games in 2011. The main reason I chose to be there is because it allowed me to represent my own country."
Henry added, "After trying out Kabaddi for the first time, I realized that there is much more to the game than what eyes can see. It is a mixture of strategy, power, and patience. It looked hard at first, but slowly I started enjoying it. It may look like it needs physical power, but it is all about the brain".
Training
One of the biggest challenges faced by the Kabaddi players is to find a trained coach. David took the lead and said, "It was all just us; we used YouTube to watch and learn. I even used social media platforms like Facebook to look into other countries' training videos to train".
David also added that when he went to Junior Asian Championship in 2009, some of the Japanese referees he met gave some tips on game plans, how to prepare, etc. “Such basics were some of the keys to us. Things have improved now by a lot".
Henry also echoed his brother's statement saying, "If anyone wants to learn Kabaddi now in Taiwan, the training environment has improved a lot. We have well-experienced players and coaches now. We get all the support from the government well".
Another aspect of the training is finding players; David mentioned that "it was a big challenge to have players dedicated to Kabaddi. When we first started, there were nine each in the boy and girl teams. After we returned from Malaysia, with defeat, everyone quit. To get back players, I had to eventually lie that the first 12 players selected will go to Asian games; we got about 20-30 players back"
Experience in India
Both David and Henry have been to India under different roles and capacities. It was pretty interesting when both of them shared their experiences.
David went to India twice to participate in the "Pro-Kabaddi League," an India-based professional-level Kabaddi league. David was part of the inaugural session of the league in 2014 and later in 2016. He was part of Jaipur Pink Panthers Team which also happened to be the champion of the 2014 season.
David was delighted that he got a chance to prove himself at such a higher professional level platform. Given the popularity of the sport in India, the Pro-Kabaddi League revolutionized the sport in multiple ways, such as taking the traditional sport to a world-class league, which brought in people worldwide.
"I didn't get many chance to see around of India due to tight schedule, but as the owner of my team is a famous superstar in Bollywood, Mr. Abhishek Bachchan. I got an opportunity to visit his place in Mumbai. Overall it was a special experience for me"
Henry, on his part, visited India in 2014 and was a translator for Taiwan's Women's National Team. Henry pointed out, "the cultural differences especially food eating habits between India-Taiwan was one of the major challenges that the players faced."
“But when we were asked why we came to India? The answer from our side was to play Kabaddi, and people in the street were really proud of us and showed us respect. It was an extraordinary and thrilling experience for us, as we were representing our national team".
Challenges of Kabaddi in Taiwan
Even though Kabaddi has been playing for the past eleven years, the women's team won the Bronze medal in the Asian Games in 2018, it still has not attracted Taiwanese compared to other sports.
"One of the most important challenges the Kabaddi sport faces in Taiwan is 'lack of awareness among the Taiwanese," echoed both David and Henry. Due to lack of popularity, not enough players are available to train comprehensively and develop a culture of Kabaddi in Taiwan.
The second biggest challenge is the "lack of sponsors." Currently, the sport is majorly supported by the government, which is always limited. It would be a game-changer if any local Taiwanese corporate could support the sport and bring a tremendous change in the field.
The challenges remain, so do the determination of the players like our "Kabaddi brothers." It was an inspirational moment for me when I could make a candid conversation with both and get to know the story of their inspiration, challenges, and strong dedication to the game. The tale of Kabaddi will continue in the next piece. Until then, please spread the word among your contacts about this fantastic sport in Taiwan.
(To be continued.)
*For the Chinese version please check: 台灣「卡巴迪兄弟」的追夢故事：曾經歷比賽失敗全隊退出，也享受過被寶萊塢巨星招待！
執行編輯：林翊婷
核稿編輯：林欣蘋
